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LIBRARY  OF  PRINCETON 

FEB  -  8  2005 

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THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 

[^S^o  J](0)i}{]!?3  ^QU[K1L£[R©[F®©K!I;,   [©c 


WITHERSPOOX. 

PUOCEEDLNGS  AND  ADDRESSES 

AT  THE 

LAYING  OF  THE  CORNER-STONE 

AND  AT  THE 

UNVEILING  OF  THE  STATUE  OF 

JOHN'  WITHERSPOON, 

IN    FAIKMOUXT    PARK,   l>lIILAUELPIirA. 


COMPILED    BY  THE 

Rev.   WM.   P.   BREED,   D.D. 


/?  77 

PHILADELPHIA  : 

PRESBYTERrAN    BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION^ 

13:34  CHESTNUT  STREET. 


WITHERSPOON. 


Friday,  the  20th  of  October,  1876,  was  a 
memorable  day  in  the  annals  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  On  that  day  a  colossal  statue  of  a  colossal 
Presbyterian  statesman,  patriot  and  divine  was  un- 
veiled in  Fairmount  Park,  Philadelphia. 

The  event  acquires  additional  importance  from 
the  fact  that  this  statue  is,  so  far  as  known  to  us, 
the  first  statue  of  a  Christian  man,  as  such,  yet 
erected  in  our  Republic.  Abroad  the  tourist  sees  at 
Oxford  the  statues  of  Cranmer,  Ridley  and  Lati- 
mer standing  on  the  spot  where  their  martyr-ashes 
smoked  to  heaven.  At  Kidderminster  the  statue 
of  Baxter  points  childhood  and  old  age,  the  passer- 
by and  the  musing  traveller,  to  the  "Saint's  Ever- 
lasting Rest.''  At  Bedford  the  form  of  Bunyan 
reminds  the  spectator  of  those  twelve  years  in  Bed- 
ford jail,  and  that  poor  blind  child  standing  by  the 
great  dreamer's  side.  In  Edinburgh  one  sees  the 
form  of  Andrew  Melvill,  who,  in  a  memorable 
crisis,  caught  King  James  by  his  robes,  and  said, 
"  Thou  God's  silly  vassal !  There  be  two  kings 
and  two  kingdoms  in  Scotland,  King  James  and 
Christ  Jesus,  whose  subject  James  is."     At  Glasgow 


4  WITHERSPOON. 

the  form  of  Knox  looks  down  upon  the  city — the 
man  who  never  feared  the  face  of  man.  But  in 
wandering  through  our  parks  and  public  places  the 
stranger  looks  in  vain  for  the  solitary  form  of  a 
strictly  Christian  hero.  Forms  of  statesmen,  war- 
riors, poets,  artists  and  others  there  are,  but  not 
one  to  vindicate  our  national  character  from  the  sus- 
picion that  we  are  a  people  wholly  given  to  secu- 
larism, not  one  to  indicate  that  we  are  a  Christian 
people — that  at  our  evangelical  communion-tables 
more  than  six  millions  of  souls  sit  down. 

It  has  been  the  j^i'ivilege  of  Presbyterians  to  re- 
move this  reproach  from  the  Christianity  of  our 
land,  and  to  set  up  the  form  of  one  noble  repre- 
sentative Christian  man  before  the  eyes  of  millions. 

The  question  has  been  asked,  Cui  bonof  What 
benefit  is  likely  to  flow  from  the  erection  of  such 
monuments  as  this?  Would  not  the  money  ex- 
pended upon  this  bronze  and  granite  have  been 
better  expended  upon  the  poor,  upon  the  payment 
of  church  debts,  or  in  supplementing  the  exhausted 
funds  of  our  mission-boards  ? 

In  reply  it  might  be  asked  whether,  if  unusual 
restraint  in  pecuniary  outlay  is  needful  in  order 
that  the  calls  of  charity  may  be  answered,  it  is  cer- 
tain that  such  restraint  should  begin  just  here. 

In  some  instances  this  suggestion  has  been  made 
in  parlors  on  the  walls  of  which  paintings  have 
hung,  and  in  which  marbles  have  stood,  the  cost  of 
which  would  have  gone  a  long  way  toward  paying 


WITHERSPOON.  6 

for  our  statue.  Since  we  began  this  movement 
Presbyterian  church  members  have  expended  upon 
works  of  art  with  which  to  decorate  their  homes 
more  than  woukl  be  needed  to  erect  a  large  number 
of  such  monuments.  If  now  home  indulgence  in 
the  refining  luxuries  of  art  is  not  to  cease  while 
financial  pressure  is  distressing  the  land,  church 
debts  are  clamoring  for  payment  and  charities  are 
calling  for  aid ;  if  month  by  month  tens  of  thou- 
sands of  dollars  are  laid  out  upon  the  productions 
of  the  pencil  and  the  chisel  for  private  and  domes- 
tic gratification, — the  effort  can  hardly  be  thought 
unwarrantable  to  divert  some  small  portion  of  this 
outlay  from  a  private  to  a  public  use.  If  the  fur- 
nishing of  our  art-galleries  is  to  wait  until  all  the  hun- 
gry are  fed,  it  will  have  to  wait  a  long,  long  time. 

Monumental  structures  for  the  commemoration 
of  events  that  mark  important  eras  in  a  nation's 
history  are  not  without  example  in  the  M^ord  of 
God.  When,  after  forty  years  of  wandering  and 
trial,  the  Israelites  had  now  passed  into  the  long- 
promised  land  through  a  chasm  miraculously  opened 
in  the  waters  of  the  Jordan,  they  were  commanded 
to  go  no  farther  till  they  had  set  up  a  monument 
of  stone  to  keep  before  the  eyes,  and  thus  in  the 
memory,  of  the  generations  following  the  wonders 
and  glories  of  that  memorable  passage : 

"  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  all  the  people  were 
clean  passed  over  Jordan,  that  the  Lord  spake  unto 
Joshua,  saying. 


6  WITHERSPOON. 

"  Take  you  twelve  men  out  of  the  people,  out  of 
every  tribe  a  man.  And  command  ye  them,  say- 
ing, Take  you  hence  out  of  the  midst  of  Jordan, 
out  of  the  place  where  the  priests^  feet  stood  firm, 
twelve  stones,  and  ye  shall  carry  them  over  with 
you,  and  leave  them  in  the  lodging-place,  where  ye 
shall  lodge  this  night. 

"  Then  Joshua  called  the  twelve  men,  whom  he 
had  prepared  of  the  children  of  Israel,  out  of 
every  tribe  a  man:  and  Joshua  said  unto  them. 
Pass  over  before  the  ark  of  the  Lord  your  God 
into  the  midst  of  Jordan,  and  take  you  up  every 
man  of  you  a  stone  upon  his  shoulder,  according 
unto  the  number  of  the  tribes  of  the  children  of 
Israel ; 

"  That  this  may  be  a  sign  among  you,  that  when 
your  children  ask  their  fathers  in  time  to  come,  say- 
ing, What  mean  ye  by  these  stones  ?  then  ye  shall 
answer  them.  That  the  waters  of  Jordan  were  cut 
off  before  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the  Lord; 
when  it  passed  over  Jordan,  the  waters  of  Jordan 
w^ere  cut  off:  and  these  stones  shall  be  for  a 
memorial  unto  the  children  of  Israel  for  ever. 

"And  the  children  of  Israel  did  so  as  Joshua 
commanded,  and  took  up  twelve  stones  out  of  the 
midst  of  Jordan,  as  the  Lord  spake  unto  Joshua, 
according  to  the  number  of  the  tribes  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel,  and  carried  them  over  with  them 
unto  the  place  where  they  lodged,  and  laid  them 
down  there.     And  Joshua  set  up  twelve  stones  in 


WITIIERSPOOK  1 

the  midst  of  Jordan,  in  the  place  where  the  feet  of 
the  priests  which  bare  the  ark  of  the  covenant 
stood  :  and  they  arc  there  unto  tliis  day."  Josh, 
iv.  1-9. 

Few  boons  to  a  country  or  to  mankind  are 
fraught  with  a  richer  preciousness  than  that  of 
great  men — men  of  commanding  abilities  allied  to 
commanding  virtues.  A  nation's  life  is  wrapped 
up  in  its  character^  and  the  example  of  a  great  and 
pure  character  is  a  potent  force  among  the  forces 
that  mould  new  characters  for  public  and  private 
life.  The  influence  in  any  nation  of  a  character 
like  that  of  Aristides  must  be  "  like  rain  upon  the 
mown  grass  and  showers  that  water  the  earth.'' 

When  it  falls  to  the  lot  of  such  a  man  to  live  in 
an  age  of  memorable  events,  and  to  take  part  in 
scenes  and  acts  that  tell  for  generations  upon  the 
weal  of  the  w-orld,  it  must  be  worth  whatever  it 
may  cost  in  after  times  to  revive  the  memories  of  i 
those  virtues  and  those  deeds,  and  to  keep  them// 
fresh  before  the  minds  of  men.  \ 

AVitherspoon  w'as  such  a  character — a  character 
not  only  pure  and  lofty  in  a  mere  secular  point  of 
view,  but  beautified  and  made  sublime  by  a  true, 
ripe,  Christian  piety.  In  the  Congress  of  sages 
that  sat  in  Independence  Hall  in  1776  we  dare  to 
say  that  there  was  not  one  other  more  worthy  to  be 
a  model  for  the  youth  of  our  country.  And  no  one 
-will  say  that  something  is  not  gained  in  setting  up 
the  form  of  such  a  man  before  the  gaze  of  men. 


f  WITHERSPOON. 

Other,  and  to  Presbyterians  not  unwelcome,  facts 
also  are  challenged  to  recollection  by  that  colossal 
figure  on  that  pedestal. 

Where  is  he  who  shall  unfold  to  us  all  the  salu- 
/  tary  influences  that  have  gone  into  the  world's  life 
from  that  Declaration  of  Independence?  It  has 
taught  mankind  to  revise  their  doctrines  as  to  the 
rights  of  men  on  the  one  hand  and  the  preroga- 
tives of  kings  on  the  other.  Its  influence,  reacting 
through  our  own  people  upon  other  peoples,  has 
modified  and  more  or  less  popularized  nearly  all 
governments  in  the  world.  By  this  statue  we  re- 
mind the  nation  that  Presbyterianism,  acting  in 
and  through  the  personal  influence,  the  zeal  and  the 
eloquence  of  Dr.  Witherspoon,  had  no  small  part 
in  the  passage  of  that  immortal  instrument,  and 
thus  in  the  creation  of  that  wide-working  and  salu- 
tary force. 

Further  still,  in  the  long,  anxious  and  arduous 
struggle  to  secure  the  consent  of  the  people  to  the 
formation  of  a  permanent  union  of  the  now  inde- 
pendent States — a  union  without  which  all  the 
fruits  of  the  war  of  independence  would  have 
\  been  worse  than  lost — Dr.  Witherspoon  was  a  con- 
spicuous and  able  champion.  By  this  statue  we 
call  to  mind  the  claim  of  Presbyterian  ism  to  no 
inconsiderable  share  in  the  nation\s  gratitude  for  its 
effective  part  in  laying  the  foundation  and  placing 
the  keystone  in  the  arch  of  the  republic.  Nor 
can  we  admit  that  the  bronze  forms  of  such  men 


WITHERSPOON.  9 

are  without  influence  over  the  many  tens  of  thou- 
sands of  spectators,  old  and  young,  that  day  by 
day  pass  and  gaze  upon  them.  The  sttitue  of  an 
Aristides  in  the  Agora  at  Athens  would  be,  if  a 
mute,  yet  an  eloquent  and  ever-speaking,  rebuke  to 
injustice  and  exhortation  to  virtue.  Such  a  citizen 
as  the  one  who  voted  for  the  ostracism  of  Aristides 
because  he  was  tired  of  hearing  him  called  Aris- 
tides the  Just,  might  find  his  evil  tendencies  put,  in 
some  degree  at  least,  under  restraint  by  the  presence 
of  the  marble  statue  of  the  just  man.  If  the 
laurels  of  Miltiades  took  sleep  from  the  eyelids  of 
Themistocles,  must  not  the  statues  of  those  heroes, 
in  later  and  more  deo:enerate  davs,  recalling]:  the 
glories  of  Marathon  and  Salamis,  beget  a  spirit  of 
patriotism  here  and  there,  and  help  in  some  degree 
to  stay  the  rapidity  of  national  decline  ? 

Is  it  not  certain  that  the  Roman  youth  who 
accompanied  his  father  through  the  Forum  Ro- 
manum,  gazing  on  the  statues  that  stood  by  scores 
around,  felt  his  patriotic  impulses  stimulated  by  the 
sight?  When,  in  reply  to  his  many  questions,  his 
father  recited  the  stories  of  Cincinnatus,  of  Regu- 
lus,  of  Fabius  Maximus  and  the  Scipios,  what 
more  natural  than  that  the  youth  as  he  left  the 
Forum  should  clench  his  hand  and  knit  his  brow 
and  vow  to  the  gods  that  he  too  would  be  a  Roman 
worthy  of  the  name? 

In  Philadelphia's  beautiful  Park  stands  that 
colossal  form,  challenging  scrutiny  into  every  act 


10  WITHERSPOON. 

of  his  pure  life,  challenging  the  world's  attention 
to  the  services  rendered,  through  him,  by  Presby- 
terianisra  in  the  work  of  founding  a  nation,  and 
exhorting  all  American  youth  to  a  life  alike  of 
patriotism  and  piety. 

THE  LAYING  OF  THE  CORNER-STONE. 

The  foundation  of  the  pedestal  having  been 
completed,  the  committee  resolved  to  lay  the  corner- 
stone of  the  monument  on  Tuesday,  the  16th  day 
of  November,  1875.  Invitations  were  accordingly 
issued  to  the  Presbyterian  public,  and  it  was  hoped 
that  the  day  might  witness  a  numerous  and  im- 
posing demonstration.  But  while  man  proposes, 
God  disposes.  The  day  was  ushered  in  with  a  cold 
November  rain,  which  increased  in  violence  as  the 
hour  appointed  for  the  exercises  drew  on,  and  at 
eleven  o'clock,  the  time  for  assembling  at  the 
Presbyterian  Rooms,  1334  Chestnut  street,  the  icy 
rain  came  down  in  torrents. 

Still,  a  considerable  number  of  ministers,  ruling 
elders  and  laymen  had  assembled,  and  with  them 
a  deputation  from  the  St.  Andrew's  Society  of 
Philadelphia.  Now  the  question  of  postponement 
came  up  for  discussion,  and  some  were  decidedly 
of  the  opinion  that  the  proposed  ceremony  should 
be  deferred.  While  opinion  was  yet  divided  upon 
the  subject  the  commanding  voice  of  Dr.  Mus- 
grave  was  heard  as  follows : 

"  Brethren,  I  hear  that  some  of  you  shrink  from 


WITHERSPOON.  11 

the  exposure  of  a  visit  to  the  Park  to-day.  "Well, 
let  me  say  that  1  for  one,  and  otlier  oi  us  younger 
brethren,  are  going  through  with  our  enterprise. 
You  older  and  feebler  ones  who  are  afraid  of  a  lit- 
tle rain  had  better  go  to  Machinery  Hall,  where 
the  address  is  to  be  delivered,  and  remain  under 
shelter  till  we  have  laid  the  corner-stone,  when  we 
will  join  you  there." 

This  speech  was  received  with  applause,  and  set- 
tled the  question  against  postponement.  Accord- 
ingly, the  procession  made  its  Avay  through  the  rain 
to  the  cars,  and  tlius  toward  the  site  of  the  monu- 
ment. 

This  site  is  on  Ijansdowne  Drive,  just  east  of 
"Memorial  Hall.'^  It  is  at  a  remove  of  some  two 
hundred  feet  from  the  drive,  which  sweeps  round  it 
in  a  curve  of  more  than  half  a  circle.  The  view 
from  the  monument  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  in 
the  Park.  The  site  was  selected  by  the  artist,  Mr. 
J.  A.  Bailly,  and  with  great  courtesy  granted  to  the 
committee  by  the  ^'Committee  on  Plans  and  Im- 
provements,'' of  which  the  late  lamented  Theodore 
Cuyler,  Esq.,  was  then  chairman,  acting  under 
authority  given  them  by  the  commissioners  of 
Fairmount  Park. 

Arriving  at  the  east  end  of  the  "Main  Building," 
at  that  time  in  course  of  completion,  the  people 
made  their  way  as  best  they  could  to  the  site  of  the 
monument.  The  grounds,  freshly  prepared  for  the 
sod,  but  with  the  sod  not  yet  laitl,  had  become  uu- 


/ 


12  WITHERSPOON. 

der  the  rain  a  bed  of  soft,  deep  mud.  But  remem- 
bering that  our  forefathers  marched  into  battle  over 
worse  grounds  than  these,  encountering  as  they  went 
torrents,  not  of  rain,  but  of  musket  and  cannon 
balls,  our  friends  plunged  through  mud  and  rain, 
and  gathered  at  the  site. 

At  the  appointed  time  the  Rev.  Geo.  W.  Mus- 
grave,  D.  D.,  LL.D.,  accompanied  by  the  Rev.  W. 
W.  Barr,  D.  D.,  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church, 
ascended  the  foundation,  and  the  exercises  began. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Barr  led  in  prayer. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Musgrave  then  spoke  as  follows : 

"  I  lay  this  corner-stone  in  the  name  of  the  cov- 
enant God  of  our  fathers,  the  triune  Jehovah, 
Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost.  On  this  site,  kindly 
granted  for  the  purpose  by  the  commissioners  of 
the  Park,  is  to  be  erected  a  monument  in  commem- 
oration of  the  patriotic  services  of  the  Rev.  Dr. 
John  Witherspoon,  a  distinguished  Presbyterian 
divine,  and  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration 
of  American  Independence,  and,  we  may  add,  the 
only  clergyman  who  signed  that  immortal  docu- 
ment. 

^'  The  design  is  also  to  remind  the  thousands — yea, 
millions — who  in  the  course  of  time  will  observ^e 
the  statue  of  that  representative  man,  of  the  patri- 
otic services  of  our  Presbyterian  fathers  during  the 
Revolutionary  war,  and  the  influence  they  exerted 
on  the  formation  of  our  national  government  after 
the  model  of  our  most  excellent  Presbyterian  form 


WITHERSPOON.  13 

of  church    government,  which  is  both  scriptural 
and  republican. 

"  Let  us  sacredly  cherish  the  spirit  of  our  patri- 
otic ancestors,  and  preserve  inviolate  their  princi- 
ples of  civil  and  religious  freedom.  Let  us  remem- 
ber that  ^  the  price  of  liberty  is  eternal  vigilance/ 
and  for  its  maintenance  let  us  renewedly  pledge 
'our  lives,  our  fortunes  and  our  sacred  honor.'" 

The  corner-stone  having  been  duly  laid,  a  pro- 
cession was  formed,  and  proceeded  to  Machinery 
Hall,  of  the  Centennial  buildings.  The  Rev.  Wm. 
P.  Breed,  D.  D.,  occupied  the  chair.  After  the 
singing  of  the  hymn, 

"All  hail  the  power  of  Jesus'  name," 

the  following  address  was  delivered  by  the  Rev. 
William  Adams,  D.  D.,  LL.D.,  of  New  York. 

THE   ADDRESS. 

"Not  for  a  vain  show,  but  for  a  great  public 
utility,  we  have  laid  this  day  the  foundation  of  a 
monument  in  honor  of  one  of  the  fathers  of  the 
republic.  The  name  thus  to  be  commemorated  in 
popular  apprehension  may  have  less  familiarity  and 
brilliancy  than  many  others  in  our  earlier  and  later 
history,  but  it  is  associated  with  a  certain  well- 
defined  influence  which,  in  the  judgment  of  a  large 
number  of  our  fellow-citizens,  deserves  to  be  held 
in  everlasting  remembrance. 

"  John  \Yitherspoon,  president  of  the  College  of 
New  Jersey,  emigrated   to  this   country  from   his 


14  WITHERSPOON. 

native  Scotland  more  than  a  century  ago.  He  was 
an  accomplished  scholar,  a  sound  theologian,  a 
brave  patriot  and  a  zealous  friend  of  true  liberty. 
In  particular  excellencies  he  had,  probably,  many 
equals — perhaps  superiors ;  but  in  that  rare  combi- 
nation of  qualities  which  fitted  him  for  the  special 
service  which  he  rendered  to  his  adopted  country  he 
stands  unrivaled.  It  was  his  high  fortune  as  a  del- 
egate from  the  State  of  New  Jersey  to  subscribe  his 
name  to  the  Declaration  of  American  Independence 
and  to  the  Articles  of  the  National  Confederation. 
It  was  not,  however,  any  one  quality  of  his  charac- 
ter or  any  one  signal  achievement  of  his  life  which 
has  prompted  so  many  throughout  the  land  to  rear 
a  monument  bearing  his  name,  so  much  as  the  con- 
viction that  he  represents  a  certain  element  of  our 
nationality  which  deserves  a  distinct  and  grateful 
recognition. 

"  For  a  believer  in  the  unity  of  historic  develop- 
ment under  the  superintendence  of  one  mind — the 
only  philosophic  conception  of  history — nothing 
can  be  more  profitable  than  the  study  of  events  in 
their  continuity  and  interdependence.  None  have 
greater  need  of  a  thorough  knowledge  and  sober 
judgment  of  their  obligations  to  the  past  than  the 
people  of  these  United  States.  Elated  by  immediate 
success  and  dazzled  by  visions  of  future  growth  in 
territory,  population  and  wealth,  above  all  nations 
we  need  the  balance  and  ballast  which  come  from 
a  wise  and  rational  remembrance  of  *  the  days  of 


WITHERSPOON.  16 

old,  and  the  years  of  ancient  times/  National 
pride  may  be  fanned  to  a  flame  by  the  high- 
wrought  descriptions  of  ephemeral  politicians,  to  a 
total  oblivion  of  those  great  moral  causes  which 
give  to  our  affairs  all  their  importance  and  to  our 
history  all  its  glory.  From  the  style  of  inflated 
self-complacency  with  which,  unfortunately,  we  are 
too  familiar,  descriptive  of  the  enlightened  century 
through  which  we  are  passing  and  the  prodigious 
country  in  which  we  live,  one  might  suppose  that 
our  American  nationality  was  a  new  and  sudden 
creation,  bursting  upon  the  world  like  a  certain 
divinity  in  Grecian  mythology,  hatched  from  the 
Ggg  of  Night  and  spreading  its  radiant  wings  on 
universal  gloom  and  barbarism.  In  fact,  it  was  no 
improvised  achievement.  It  was  the  logical  result 
of  pre-existent  events.  It  was  the  growth  and 
fruitage  of  historic  roots  in  ancestral  lands  beyond 
the  sea.  We  have  a  well-authenticated  pedigree  at 
which  no  man  can  blush.  We  trace  our  national  life 
back  to  reforms,  protests,  revolutions  and  martyr- 
doms which  have  made  and  marked  the  progress 
of  the  Old  World  through  many  generations. 
Whatever  truth  there  may  be  in  the  words  of  Car- 
lyle,  expressed  in  his  usual  mannerism,  ^  The  best 
thing  England  ever  did  was  Oliver  Cromwell,'  it 
is  certain  that  this  work  was  not  finished  when 
Cromwell  was  buried  in  Westminster  Abbey  more 
than  two  hundred  years  ago,  nor  when  his  weak 
and   incapable   son  afterward   abdicated  the   Pro- 


16  WITHERSPOON. 

tectorship.  Forms  may  change,  names  may  rise 
and  fade,  events  may  advance  and  recede  as  the 
waves  of  the  incoming  tide  swing  forward  and 
backward,  but  the  English  Commonwealth  is  work- 
ing now  as  a  vital  force  in  the  heart  of  the  world ; 
and  the  great  men  of  those  remote  times  are  to-day 
living,  speaking,  toiling,  with  greater  vigor  than 
ever  in  advocacy  of  human  rights  on  both  sides  of 
the  sea. 

"That  our  American  colonial  life  sprung  from 
religious  forces  is  a  fact  too  familiar  to  need  repe- 
tition. But  these  religious  elements  were  by  no 
means  homogeneous.  The  Puritan  of  England, 
the  Covenanter  of  Scotland,  the  Huguenot  of 
France,  the  Waldensian  of  Italy,  the  refugee  from 
Switzerland  and  the  Netherlands,  the  Lutheran  from 
Germany  and  Sweden,  trained  by  different  pro- 
cesses and  impregnated  with  the  qualities  of  the 
different  soils  from  Avhich  they  came, — each  con- 
tributed his  specific  part  to  the  composition  of  our 
new  nationality,  just  as  numerous  metals  were  com- 
bined to  form  the  famous  brass  of  ancient  Corinth. 

"  The  purpose  for  which  w^e  are  now  met  suggests 
a  few  thoughts  concerning  Scotch  Presbyterianism, 
one  of  those  constituent  elements  entitled  to  a  grate- 
ful commemoration,  as  represented  by  the  name 
and  character  of  John  Witherspoon.  Surely  no 
one  will  suspect  me  of  designing  to  pervert  this  oc- 
casion by  protruding  ecclesiastical  preference  or  ap- 
pealing to  ecclesiastical  prejudices.     Palsied  be  my 


WITHERSPOON.  17 

tongue  if,  at  a  time  when  it  should  be  the  aim  of 
every  good  citizen  to  fuse  all  minor  distinctions  into 
one  sentiment  of  American  citizenship,  catholic  and 
magnanimous,  I  should  say  anything  by  way  of 
ibstering  what  is  sectarian  and  sectional !  We  are 
here  as  American  citizens,  and  not  exclusively  as 
Presbyterian  ecclesiastics.  But  we  cannot  be  blind 
to  the  lessons  of  history.  No  intelligent  man,  what- 
ever his  convictions  and  preferences  may  be  as  to 
church  order  and  worship,  would  think  it  invidious 
to  refer  to  the  different  circumstances  in  which  Prot- 
estantism assumed  form  in  Northern  and  Southern 
Britain. 

"  Protestantism,  as  first  organized  in  England,  was 
largely  a  political  measure.  It  was  an  exchange  of 
popes  with  rival  claims.  Henry  VIII.  was  no  less 
a  pope  because  he  bore  the  name  of  king.  Never 
was  pontifical  supremacy  asserted  in  a  more  absolute 
form,  both  in  Church  and  State,  than  by  this  burly 
and  passionate  monarch.  In  part  a  political  measure, 
and  in  part  a  religious  conviction,  English  Protest- 
antism took  the  form  of  a  compromise,  and  like  all 
compromises  where  great  interests  are  involved, 
this  entailed  discontent,  restlessness  and  antagonism. 
Two  parties,  like  Esau  and  Jacob,  bound  together 
from  their  twin  conception,  have  been  struggling 
and  wrestling  for  the  ascendency  in  all  successive 
stages  of  English  history.  Controversies  are  to-day 
agitating  courts,  convocations  and  parliaments  con- 
cerning forms  and  dresses  which  would  not  have 
2 


18  WITHEBSPOON. 

importance  enough  in  themselves  to  redeem  them 
from  the  category  of  puerilities,  trifles  such  as  were 
described  by  Milton,  . 

*  Gewgaws  fetched  from  Aaron's  old  wardrobe  or  the  flamen's 

vestrj,' 

if  they  were  not  understood  by  all  parties  to  be  the 
symbols  and  badges  of  the  old  ancestral  antag- 
onism. 

"Protestantism  in  Scotland  had  a  different  birth, 
and  so  has  had  a  different  type  and  development. 
It  was  no  political  expedient,  born  of  a  monarch's 
lust,  avarice  and  ambition.  It  was  a  rational, 
religious  conviction,  and  not  a  mere  change  of  des- 
potisms. The  great  Reformer  of  Scotland,  John 
Knox,  educated  for  the  Romish  Church,  so  soon  as 
he  discovered  that  he  could  not  be  fettered  by  anti- 
quated authority,  whether  priestly  or  scholastic,  by 
one  bound  sprung  to  the  ultimate  principle,  the 
paramount  authority  of  the  Bible  and  the  suprem- 
acy of  Christ  above  all  the  pretensions  and  assump- 
tions of  men.  The  sharp  and  irreconcilable  distinc- 
tion between  these  two  opposite  systems  was  caught 
by  the  Scotch  Reformers  as  by  intuition.  Those 
words,  ^Christ's  Crown,'  which  Scotch  Protestant- 
ism early  inscribed  upon  that  flag  which  afterward 
was  borne  so  bravely  through  storm  and  battle,  the 
pride  of  lowly  cottage  and  lordly  castle,  were  no 
unmeaning  device.  The  'lords  of  the  congrega- 
tion/  as  the  noble  leaders  of  the  movement  were 


WITIIERSPOON.  19 

significantly  styled,  in  their  first  covenant  bound 
one    another    before    the  majesty  of    God    to    set 
forth,  maintain  and  honor  the  most  blessed  word  of 
God,  in  opposition  to  all  tyranny,  superstition  and 
idolatry.     Here  we  have  the  key  to  Scottish  history  \ 
for  the  last  three  hundred  years — a  history  having  ) 
as  distinct  a  type  as  Scotland's  lakes  and  highlands.  ( 
When  the  crowns  of  England  and  Scotland  were 
united,  many  but  fruitless  were  the  attempts  of  the 
English  monarchy  and  prelacy  to  force  their  own 
Church  system  upon  Scotland.    In  the  Antiquarian 
Hall  in  Edinburgh  there  is  still  preserved  the  small   ' 
oaken  stool  which  Jenny  Geddes  hurled  at  the  head  \ 
of  the  dean  of  Edinburgh  when,  in  obedience  to  [ 
a  command  of  his  royal  master,  he  attempted  to  \ 
force  the  English  service  upon  the  reluctant  ears  of 
an  indignant  people — a  singular  projectile,  but  the 
signal  shot  of  a  great  revolution,  the  reverberations 
of  which  have  not  yet  died  out  of  the  world.     No 
portion  of  modern  history  furnishes  more  interesting 
material  than  Scotland  in  her  successive  struggles 
for  religious  liberty.     Greatly  is  it  to  be  regretted 
that  the  genius  of  Walter  Scott  was  not  in  closer 
sympathy  with  the  Presbyterian  ism  of  his  native 
land;   but  how  graphically  has  he  portrayed  the 
atrocities   of   Claverhouse   when   dragooning    the 
Covenanters!    and  the  honesty  and  simplicity  of 
religious  faith  have  been  immortalized  by  him  in 
the  character  of  Jeanie  Deans,  the  one  insect  of  a 
swarm  embalmed  in  a  drop  of  amber. 


20  WITHERSPOON. 

"  We  have  not  hazarded  the  assertion  that  even  in 
Scotland  the  exact  and  well-balanced  truth  as  to  the 
relations  of  Church  and  State  was  reached  at  once. 
Many  of  Scotland's  noblest  men  have  always  main- 
tained the  obligations  of  the  State  to  aid  and  uphold 
the  institutions  of  religion;  but  the  one  principle 
running  through  all  the  divisions  of  her  Presby- 
terian population  has  been  that  the  Church  is  in  no 
sense  the  creature  of  the  State  or  dependent  on  its 
power.  No  nation  can  boast  of  a  nobler  army  of 
martyrs  than  Scotland  in  defence  of  that  principle, 
from  the  days  of  Patrick  Hamilton  to  the  men  of 
our  own  times  whom  you  and  I  have  known  and 
admired,  who  with  bravery  and  martyrdom  w^orthy 
of  their  ancestry  gave  up  their  churches  and  manses, 
and  went  forth  in  the  face  of  poverty  and  suffering, 
rather  than  lower  the  old  standard,  ^  Christ's 
Crown,'  to  the  dictation  of  the  civil  power,  thus 
verifying  the  memorable  words  of  the  duke  of 
Wellington:  *The  battle  of  establishments  is  to  be 
fought  in  Scotland.' 

*'Such  was  the  land  and  Church  from  which 
came  that  element  of  our  nationality  which  is  re- 
called by  the  name  of  Witherspoon.  It  spread 
itself  Avidely,  and  planted  itself  deeply,  on  this 
continent.  It  made  a  home  for  itself  on  the  granite 
hills  of  New  England.  It  was  strong  and  potent 
in  Pennsylvania,  Virginia  and  North  Carolina. 
It  uttered  its  clarion  voice  in  the  Mecklenburg 
Declaration.     It  inscribed   its  testimony  by  more 


WITHERSPOON.  21 

tlian  one  hand  on  the  Declaration  of  National 
Independence.  In  all  times  of  trial,  in  all  times  of 
danger  and  darkness,  it  has  proved  itself  a  hrave 
and  trusty  power.  . 

"  Scotch  granite  forms  a  firm  foundation,  even  if  it  ) 
does  not  admit  of  so  fine  a  polish  as  Italian  marble. 
Scotch  Presbyterian  ism  has  often  been  charged  with 
stiffness,  sourness  and  rigidity.  It  must  be  admit- 
ted that  it  is  wont  to  hold  its  opinions  with  some- 
what of  that  manner  which  one  of  its  own  repre- 
sentatives has  designated  a  ^gracious  pertinacity.' 
Sometimes  it  would  seem  as  if  determined  to  sing 
a  solo  strain  in  the  general  anthem.  But  who  ex- 
pects the  ^gnarled  and  unwedgeable  oak'  to  be  as 
flexible  as  the  osier  ?  Some  metals  do  not  fuse  and 
assimilate  so  readily  as  others.  But  the  national 
element  which  I  describe  has  in  it  sturdy  strength. 
It  is  no  lay-figure.  It  is  no  sham.  It  is  not  driven 
to  and  fro  by  every  wind  of  doctrine.  It  is  cha- 
racterized by  downright  honesty.  AVe  need  more 
of  this  Petrine  quality,  which  is  as  a  rock  for  firm- 
ness and  endurance.  Should  questions  ever  arise 
in  this  country  affecting  its  honesty  and  integrity, 
whether  as  to  the  administration  of  government,  or 
the  import  and  value  of  the  national  currency^  or 
the  disposal  of  the  national  debt,  there  will  be  no 
doubt  which  side  this  portion  of  our  popuWion 
will  espouse.  Strange  as  it  may  seem,  aft^r  the 
experience  of  ages  the  question  of  the  relations  of 
Church  and  State  is  not  yet  settled  in   the  Old 


22  WITHERSPOON. 

World.  On  this  subject  Protestantism  as  well  as 
Vaticanism  enacts  its  mistakes.  Signs  are  not 
wanting  in  our  horizon  that  the  question  of  the 
relation  of  Cliurch  and  State  will  demand  a  new 
discussion  in  this  country.  ^  Render  unto  Caesar 
the  things  that  are  Csesar^s,  and  to  God  the  things 
that  are  God's.'  Should  the  time  ever  come  when 
Cfesar  should  attempt  to  stretch  his  arm  across 
this  wide  distinction ;  should  civil  government, 
national,  State  or  municipal,  presume  to  lend 
itself  to  what  is  sectarian,  fumbling  about  our 
schools  and  churches,  those  foundations  of  our 
republic ;  should  the  old,  old  question  of  religious 
liberty  be  revived  in  any  form  by  reason  of  the  dic- 
tation of  any  hierarchy,  foreign  or  domestic, — then 
shall  we  see  the  use  and  value  of  that  particular 
element  in  our  nationality  which  we  this  day  com- 
memorate— a  quality  disciplined  and  toughened  by 
the  sufferings  of  ages  ;  then  you  may  be  sure  the 
old  blue  flag  of  Scotch  Presbyterianism — a  flag 
that  was  never  trailed  in  the  dust  before  tyranny 
or  superstition — will  be  in  the  very  front  of  the 
fight. 

"  While  this  occasion  has  demanded  a  special 
reference  to  one  form  of  Protestantism,  with  its 
republican  simplicity,  the  parity  of  its  clergy,  its 
liberal  patronage  of  schools  and  colleges,  its  ardent 
patriotism  and  its  firm  faith  in  the  ultimate  exten- 
sion of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom,  I  do  not  forget 
that  this  is  only  one  part  of  our  common  heritage. 


WITHERSPOON.  23 

I 

There  is  no  such  thing  as  a  monopoly  in  the  fame 
of  our  ancestors  by  any  sect.  As  they,  coming 
from  various  countries  and  churches,  joined  hands 
and  hearts  to  found  the  institutions  which  are  our 
priceless  heritage,  so  may  we,  oblivious  to  all  un- 
worthy and  narrow  distinctions,  unite  to  transmit 
these  institutions,  not  only  uninjured,  but  refined 
and  perfected,  to  those  who  shall  come  after  us. 
Let  us  lift  the  forms  of  our  canonized  fothers  high 
on  their  pedestals  and  often  gaze  on  their  serene 
and  beautiful  features.  Let  us  teach  our  children 
to  recognize  their  names,  rehearse  their  deeds,  to 
catch  inspiration  from  their  great  achievements 
and  copy  their  great  examples.  So  long  as  granite 
and  bronze  and  marble  shall  perpetuate  their  forms 
and  features  let  us  pledge  ourselves  to  the  promo- 
tion of  morality  and  religion,  the  life-blood  of  our 
republic — to  supreme  faith  in  the  word  of  God  as 
the  only  sure  pledge  of  liberty  for  the  whole  earth, 
and  the  certain  promise  of  a  time  when  the  king- 
doms of  this  world  shall  all  acknowledge  the  crown 
and  supremacy  of  Jesus  Christ'' 

While  Dr.  Adams  was  speaking  the  storm  ceased, 
the  heavy  mass  of  clouds  rolled  up  from  the  west, 
and  the  sun  shone  out  in  all  his  glory. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  oration  a  handsome 
Presbyterian  flag  was  presented  by  the  young 
ladies  of  West  Spruce  Street  Presbyterian  church 
of  Philadelphia  to  the  Centennial  Committee  of  the 


■ 

/ 


24  WITHERSPOON. 

General  Assembly.  It  was  presented  by  George 
Junkin,  Esq.,  and  received  by  Colonel  J.  Ross 
Snowden,  chairman  of  the  committee.  The  flag 
was  made  of  bhie  silk,  edged  with  a  crimson  fringe, 
these  being  the  old  colors  of  the  Scotch  Covenanters. 
On  the  field  is  a  large  star,  representing  the  General 
Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  composed  of 
thirty-six  small  stars,  representing  the  thirty-six 
synods  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  These  synods 
correspond  to  our  State  governments,  which  are 
represented  by  the  stars  on  the  United  States  flag, 
and  their  union  in  the  General  Assembly  corre- 
sponds with  the  union  of  States  in  Congress. 

THE   UNVEILING. 

On  Thursday  evening,  the  19th  of  October,  1876, 
the  Synod  of  Philadelphia  assembled  for  its  eighty- 
eighth  annual  meeting,  in  the  Bethany  Presbyterian 
church,  in  the  cit}^  of  Philadelphia,  a  little  less 
than  a  month  before  the  closing  of  the  memorable 
Centennial  Exhibition. 

This  synod  was  now  virtually  not  eighty-eight, 
but  one  hundred  and  seventy  years  old,  for  as 
early  as  the  year  1706  the  organization  of  the 
original  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia  took  place. 
This  body  was  then  presbytery,  synod  and  Gene- 
ral Assembly  all  in  one. 

For  ten  years  the  presbytery  grew  in  numbers, 
and  in  the  year  1716  it  resolved  itself  into  the 
Synod  of  Philadelphia,  and  divided  itself  by  formal 


WITHERSPOON.  26 

action  into  four  presbyteries,  though,  in  fact,  only- 
three  of  the  four  presbyteries  were  organized.  The 
synod  continued  to  grow  and  divide  and  reunite, 
with  change  of  name  as  well  as  of  fortunes,  until, 
in  tlie  year  1788,  it  resumed  its  old  name,  which  it 
has  since  retained. 

Out  of  the  original  Synod  of  Philadelphia  have 
grown  all  our  synods,  to  the  number  now  of  thirty- 
seven.  Last  year  the  number  of  States  in  our 
republic  was  thirty-seven  and  the  number  of  our 
synods  was  thirty-six.  This  Centennial  year  the 
republic  has  added  tiie  State  of  Colorado,  and  our 
Church  has  added  the  Synod  of  Columbia.  It  is 
by  no  means  disagreeable  to  us,  as  Presbyterians, 
to  recognize  even  such  casual  analogies  as  this, 
among  the  many  much  more  significant,  between 
our  ecclesiastical  republic  and  that  of  the  nation. 

One  hundred  years  ago  our  ancestral  synod  sat  in 
the  city  of  Philadelphia,  side  by  side  with  the  ever- 
memorable  Continental  Congress.  Among  the  mem- 
bers of  the  synod  were  Dr.  George  Duffield,  who 
acted  as  chaplain  in  the  Congress ;  Dr.  James 
Sproat,  of  ripe  scholarship  and  large  theological 
knowledge ;  Dr.  John  Ewing,  in  1 779  provost  of 
the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  and  '^  capable  of 
supplying  any  professor's  place  at  a  moment's 
warning ;"  Dr.  Patrick  Alison,  the  Reverend  John 
Craighead,  the  Reverend  John  Brainerd,  and  the 
Reverend  Dr.  John  Witherspoon,  who  not  long 
after  passed  into  the  Congress  of  the  United  States, 


26  WITHERSPOOK 

where  he  contluued  six  years,  one  of  its  ablest,  most 
useful  and  patriotic  members. 

An  interesting  and  very  significant  incident  is 
recorded  of  this  meeting  of  the  synod.  It  had 
adjourned  in  1775  to  meet  in  Philadelphia  on  the 
third  Wednesday,  the  15th  of  May.  It  did  not 
meet,  however,  until  the  fourth  Wednesday,  May 
22d.  For,  as  we  read  in  the  records,  "the  Conti- 
nental Congi'ess  having  appointed  a  general  fast  to 
be  kept  on  the  loth  of  this  instant,  several  members 
from  different  presbyteries  applied  to  the  moderator, 
requesting  him  to  give  public  notice  for  the  post- 
poning of  the  meeting  of  the  synod  until  the  fourth 
Wednesday  of  this  month,  in  order  that  the  minis- 
ters might  attend  with  their  congregrations  on  said 
fast-day,  with  which  the  moderator  complied ;  and 
accordingly,  the  synod  have  now  convened;  and, 
how^ever,  the  synod  judge  and  declare,  that  the 
synodical  moderator  has  not  authority,  either  with 
or  without  the  concurrence  of  particular  members, 
to  alter  the  time  of  meeting  to  which  the  synod 
stands  adjourned,  yet,  in  the  present  extraordinary 
case,  they  approve  of  what  the  moderator  has 
done."  Such  being  the  record  of  our  ancestral 
synod,  it  seemed  to  the  committee  obviously  proper 
that  the  Synod  of  Philadelphia,  within  whose  pres- 
ent bounds  sat  the  Continental  Congress  in  which 
Dr.  Witherspoon,  the  great  representative  Presby- 
terian patriot  and  statesman,  served  his  country 
and  won  his  fame,  should  take  a  chief  part  in  the 


WITHERSPOON.  27 

crowning  ceremonies  of  this  monumental  enter- 
prise. 

With  this  reason  others  concurred  for  fixing  upon 
this  time  as  the  latest  to  which  the  ceremonies  could 
be  postponed. 

In  view  of  all  the  facts,  the  committee  appointed 
Friday  the  20th  of  Novepiber  as  the  day  for  the 
completion  of  the  enterprise.  The  needful  arrange- 
ments were  accordingly  made.  Invitations  were 
sent  to  various  synods  then  in  session,  to  the  trustees 
and  faculties  of  Princeton  College  and  Theological 
Seminary,  and  a  general  invitation  to  all  Presbyte- 
rians, of  every  name,  to  assemble  at  the  Chambers 
Presbyterian  church,  Philadelphia,  on  Friday  the 
20th  of  October,  at  eleven  o'clock  A.  M.  Invita- 
tions were  also  sent  to  his  Honor,  the  Mayor  of 
Philadelphia,  the  Common  and  Select  Councils,  the 
Fairmount  Park  Commission  and  the  United  States 
Centennial  Commission  to  be  present  on  the  occasion. 

It  was  a  gratifying  fact  that  the 

SYNOD  OF  CENTKAL  NEW  YORK 

took  voluntary  action  in  the  matter,  passing  a  paper 
of  Christian  and  fraternal  salutation,  and  sending 
it  to  the  Synod  of  Philadelphia  by  the  hand  of  the 
Reverend  James  Gardiner,  member  of  the  Presby- 
tery of  St.  Lawrence.  The  action  of  the  synod  was 
as  follows : 

''  The  Synod  of  Central  New  York,  now  in  ses- 
sion at  Watertown,  desires  to  send  its  cordial  Chris- 


.28  WITHERSPOON. 

tian  greeting  to  the  sister  Synod  of  Philadelphia, 
about  to  convene  in  that  city. 

"  We  make  grateful  mention  of  all  your  services 
rendered  to  the  cause  and  kingdom  of  our  beloved 
Lord  in  the  generations  that  are  past.  We  congratu- 
late you  on  the  accomplishment  of  the  undertaking 
that  perpetuates  the  name  and  fame  of  Witherspoon, 
and  unite  with  you  in  loyalty  to  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  to  a  country  and  Constitution  which 
bear  her  image  and  superscription. 

''  Brethren :  The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
be  with  you  all.     Amen. 

"Done  in  .synod,  at  Watertown,  N.  Y.,  this  eigh- 
teenth day  of  October,  eighteen  hundred  and  seventy- 
six. 

*^  David  Tully,  Moderator. 
"E.  N.  Manley,  Stated  Clerk:' 

THE  SYNOD  OF  BALTIMORE 

placed  the  following  record  upon  its  minutes: 

"  The  synod  having  received  an  invitation  to  be 
present  at  the  unveiling  of  the  statue  of  Dr. 
Witherspoon  at  the  Centennial  grounds  on  the  20th 
of  October,  the  following  reply  was  returned : 

"The  Synod  of  Baltimore  gratefully  acknow- 
ledges the  kind  and  cordial  invitation  of  Reverend 
Dr.  Musgrave,  chairman  of  the  Witherspoon  Com- 
mittee, to  be  present  at  the  unveiling  of  the  statue 
of  Dr.  Witherspoon,  and  will  be  happy  to  accept 
the  same,  if  the  business  of  the  synod  permit." 


WITHEESPOON.  29 


THE   SYNOD    OF    NEW    JERSEY. 

The  Rev.  J.  Addison  Heniy,  having  been  ap- 
pointed by  the  Centennial  Executive  Committee  of 
the  Presbyterian  General  Assembly  to  invite  the 
Synod  of  New  Jersey  to  attend  at  the  ceremonies 
at  the  unveiling  of  the  Witherspoon  monument  in 
Fairmount  Park,  on  Friday,  20th  Oct.,  appeared 
before  the  synod  at  Elizabeth,  N.  J.,  on  Wednes- 
day morning,  and  gave,  in  the  name  of  the  com- 
mittee, a  most  cordial  invitation.  Whereupon  the 
venerable  Dr.  Charles  Hodge,  of  the  Princeton 
Theological  Seminary,  and  Dr.  H.  C.  Cameron, 
professor  in  Princeton  College,  were  appointed  a 
committee  to  introduce  a  minute  expressing  the 
mind  of  the  synod  upon  the  subject.  The  minute, 
which  was  unanimously  adopted,  is  as  follows : 

"  Whereas,  The  Centennial  Committee  of  the 
General  Assembly  has  invited  the  Synod  of  New 
Jersey  to  be  present  at  the  unveiling  of  the  statue 
of  the  R-ev.  John  Witherspoon,  D.  D.,  at  Philadel- 
phia, on  Friday,  the  20th  inst. ;  and 

"  Whereas,  Dr.  Witherspoon,  an  active  patriot 
in  the  Revolution,  a  member  of  the  Continental 
Congress,  and  a  signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence, was  the  president  of  the  College  of  New 
Jersey,  and  an  eminent  and  influential  minister 
within  the  bounds  of  the  Synod  of  New  Jersey ; 
therefore, 

"  Resolved,  That  the  thanks   of  this  synod  be 


30  WITHERSPOON. 

tendered  to  the  committee  for  their  very  cordial 
invitation ;  and  that  when  this  synod  adjourns,  it 
adjourns  to  meet  in  the  Tabernacle  church,  in 
Philadelphia,  at  11  A.  M.,  on  Friday  the  20th  inst., 
to  attend  the  services  to  which  it  has  been  invited. 
"Chakles  Hodge, 
"  Henry  C.  Cameron." 

the  synod  of  philadelphia. 

The  Synod  of  Philadelphia,  at  its  session  in 
Reading  in  1874,  passed  the  follow^ing  paper: 

"  The  Synod  of  Philadelphia  having  learned  of 
the  project  of  the  General  Assembly's  Centennial 
Committee  to  secure  the  erection  of  a  statue  of  the 
Rev.  John  Witherspoon,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  member  of 
the  Congress  that  passed  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence, an  eloquent  advocate  of  the  instrument, 
and  the  only  clergyman  who  took  part  in  the 
deliberations  of  that  memorable  body, 

"  Resolvedy  That  we  cordially  approve  of  this 
measure  as  a  fitting  tribute  to  the  personal  worth 
and  efficient  services  of  this  eminent  man  in  the 
cause  of  American  freedom,  as  an  appropriate 
memorial  of  the  ardent  and  active  patriotism  of 
the  Presbyterians  of  the  country  throughout  our 
arduous  Revolutionary  struggle,  and  as  a  symbol 
of  the  beautiful  harmony  subsisting  between  the 
principles  and  forms  of  government  in  our  Church 
on  the  one  hand  and  our  nation  on  the  other. 

"  Resolved,  That  we  earnestly  commend  this  en- 


WITHERSPOOK  81 

terprise  to  the  patriotic  sympathy  and  liberality  of 
all  the  various  branches  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
in  our  country. 

^'  Resolved  J  That  the  stated  clerk  of  the  synod 
be  requested  to  secure  the  publication  of  the  above 
resolutions  in  as  many  as  possible  of  the  religious 
newspapers  of  the  v^arious  bodies  of  Presbyterians 
in  our  land." 

On  the  evening  of  Thursday,  October  19th,  the 
synod  opened  its  meeting  in  the  Bethany  Presby- 
terian church,  Philadelphia,  and  the  E,ev.  William 
P.  Breed,  D.  D.,  was  elected  moderator  by  acclama- 
tion. A  paper  was  presented  to  the  synod  from 
the  General  Assembly's  Centennial  Committee, 
stating  the  reasons  for  fixing  upon  Friday,  the  20th, 
as  the  day  for  the  unveiling,  and  requesting  the 
synod  to  attend  in  a  body  and  appoint  their  mod- 
erator to  preside  and  conduct  the  exercises  of  the 
day.  The  synod  accordingly  adjourned  to  meet 
on  Friday,  the  20th  instant,  at  9  o'clock  A.  M.,  in 
the  Chambers  Presbyterian  church,  on  Broad  street 
below  Chestnut. 

At  the  appointed  time  and  place  the  synod  met, 
and  transacted  business  until  half  after  eleven 
o'clock.  In  the  mean  time  the  i»ynod  of  New 
Jersey  assembled  in  the  Tabernacle  Presbyterian 
church,  on  Broad  street  above  Chestnut. 

At  half-past  eleven  o'clock  a  very  large  number 
of  gentlemen  formed  in  line  on  Broad  street.  The 
order  of  procession  was  as  follows : 


32  WITHERSPOON. 

The  St.  Andrew's  Society, 

The  General  Assembly's  Centennial  Committee, 

The  moderators  of  the  two  Synods, 

The  Synod  of  New  Jersey, 

The  Witherspoon  Literary  Society, 

The  Synod  of  Philadelj^hia, 

Clergymen,  ruling  elders  and  laymen. 

The  long  line  moved  up  Broad  street  to  the 
depot  of  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Raih'oad, 
and  taking  its  cars  proceeded  to  the  site  of  the 
monument. 

AT   THE   SITE. 

Upon  reaching  the  site  of  the  monument,  the 
Rev.  William  P.  Breed,  D.  D.,  moderator  of  the 
Synod  of  Philadelphia,  assisted  by  the  Rev.  Thomas 
McCauley,  moderator  of  the  Synod  of  New  Jer- 
sey, took  charge  of  and  conducted  the  exercises. 

The  vast  assemblage  was  called  to  order  at  one 
o'clock,  and  prayer  was  offered  by  the  Rev.  Dr. 
George  AY.  Musgrave,  after  which  Rev.  "W.  O.  John- 
stone, D.  D.,  announced  the  following  psalm : 

"  All  people  that  on  earth  do  dwell, 

Sing  to  the  Lord  with  cheerful  voice. 
Him  serve  with  mirth,  his  praise  forth  tell; 
Come  ye  before  him  and  rejoice. 

"  Know  that  the  Lord  is  God  indeed, 
Without  our  aid  he  did  us  make ; 
We  are  his  flock,  he  doth  us  feed, 
And  for  his  sheep  he  doth  us  take. 


WITHEBSPOON.  33 

"  Oh,  enter,  then,  his  gates  with  praise, 
Approach  with  joy  his  courts  unto; 
Praise,  laud  and  bless  his  name  always, 
For  it  is  seemly  so  to  do. 

"  Because  the  Lord  our  God  is  good, 
His  mercy  is  for  ever  sure  ; 
His  truth  at  all  times  firmly  stood, 
And  shall  from  age  to  age  endure." 

The  psalm  was  sung  by  the  entire  multitude, 
after  which  the  Rev.  J.  B.  Dales,  D.  D.,  read  the 
following 

SCRIPTURE   SELECTIONS. 

"  Lord,  thou  hast  been  our  dwelling  place  in  all 
generations.  From  everlasting  to  everlasting,  thou 
art  God.  Thy  name,  O  Lord,  endureth  for  ever, 
and  thy  memorial  is  throughout  all  generations. 
Who  shall  not  fear  thee,  O  Lord,  and  glorify  thy 
name,  for  thou  only  art  holy  ?  For  all  nations  shall 
come  and  worship  thee. 

*' We  have  heard  with  our  ears,  O  God,  our  fathers 
have  told  us  what  work  thou  didst  in  their  days 
in  the  times  of  old ;  how  thou  didst  drive  out  the 
heathen  with  thine  hand  and  plantedst  them ;  how 
thou  didst  afflict  the  people  and  cast  them  out. 
For  they  got  not  the  land  in  possession  by  their 
own  sword,  neither  did  their  own  arms  save  them ; 
but  thy  right  hand  and  thine  arm  and  the  light  of 
thy  countenance,  because  thou  hadst  a  favor  unto 
them.  The  Lord  hath  done  great  things  for  us, 
whereof  we  are  glad. 


34  WITHERSPOON. 

"And  thou  slialt  remember  all  the  way  which  the 
Lord  thy  God  led  thee,  and  thou  shalt  keep  the 
commandments  of  the  Lord  thy  God  to  walk  in 
his  ways  and  to  fear  him.  For  the  Lord  thy  God 
bringeth  thee  into  a  good  land,  a  land  of  brooks  of 
water,  of  fountains  and  depths  that  spring,  and  of 
valleys  and  hills ;  a  land  of  wheat  and  barley  and 
vines  and  fig  trees  and  pomegranates ;  a  land  of  oil- 
olive  and  honey;  a  land  wherein  thou  shalt  eat 
bread  without  scarceness,  and  thou  shalt  not  lack 
any  thing  in  it ;  a  land  whose  stones  are  iron,  and 
out  of  whose  hills  thou  mayst  dig  brass.  When 
thou  hast  eaten  and  art  full,  then  shalt  thou  bless 
the  Lord  thy  God  for  the  good  land  which  he  giveth 
thee,  and  beware  that  thou  forget  not  the  Lord  thy 
God  in  not  keeping  his  commandments  and  his 
judgments  and  his  statutes,  and  thou  say  in  thine 
heart.  My  poicer  and  my  might  and  mine  hand  hath 
gotten  me  this  wealth.  But  thou  slialt  remember  the 
Lord  thy  God,  for  it  is  he  that  giveth  thee  power 
to  get  wealth,  that  he  may  establish  his  covenant, 
which  he  sware  unto  thy  fathers.  Happy  art  thou, 
O  Israel !  Who  is  like  unto  thee,  O  people,  saved 
by  the  Lord,  the  shield  of  thy  help,  and  who  is  the 
sword  of  thine  excellency  ?  And  thine  enemies  shall 
be  found  liars  unto  thee,  and  thou  shalt  tread  upon 
their  high  places. 

"  The  spirit  of  the  Lord  spake  by  me ;  the  God  of 
Israel  said.  He  that  ruleth  over  men  must  be  just, 
ruling  in  the  fear  of  God,  and  he  shall  be  as  the 


WITIIERSrOON.  35 

Uglit  of  the  morninj]^  when  the  .sun  riscth,  even  a 
morning  without  clouds,  as  the  tender  grass  spring- 
eth  out  of  the  earth  by  clear  shining  after  rain. 
The  righteous  shall  be  in  everlasting  remembrance. 
His  lieart  is  established ;  lie  shall  not  be  afraid 
until  he  see  his  desire  on  his  enemies;  his  horn  shall 
be  exalted  with  honor.  Kid  me  and  deliver  me 
from  the  hand  of  strange  children  whose  mouth 
speaketh  vanity  and  their  right  liand  is  a  right  hand 
of  falsehood,  and  let  the  righteous  be  exalted.  That 
our  sons  may  be  as  plants  grown  up  in  their  youth; 
that  our  daughters  may  be  as  corner-stones  polished 
after  the  similitude  of  a  palace;  that  our  garners 
may  be  full,  affording  all  manner  of  store;  that  our 
sheep  may  bring  forth  thousands  and  ten  thousands 
in  our  streets;  that  our  oxen  may  be  strong  to  labor; 
that  there  be  no  breaking  in  nor  giving  out;  that 
there  be  no  complaining  in  our  streets.  Happy  is 
that  people  that  is  in  such  a  case ;  yea,  happy  is  that 
people  wdiose  God  is  the  Lord. 

"  Blessed  be  the  Lord  God,  the  God  of  Israel,  who 
only  doeth  wondrous  things,  and  blessed  be  his 
glorious  name  for  ever,  and  let  the  whole  earth  be 
filled  with  his  glory. 

*'  Now  unto  the  King,  eternal,  immortal,  invisible, 
the  only  wise  God,  be  honor  and  glory,  for  ever  and 
ever.     Amen.'' 


36  WITHERSPOON. 

HISTORY   OF   THE   EFFORT. 

The  Rev.  Henry  C.  McCook  then  gave  a  history 
of  the  effort  to  erect  the  monument.  As  introduc- 
tory to  the  narrative  of  Mr.  McCook  it  is  proper 
that  the  following  statement  be  made : 

In  the  summer  of  1874  an  article  from  his  pen 
in  the  Presbyterian  suggested  the  erection  of  a 
statue  to  Dr.  Witherspoon.  This  suggestion  was 
the  seed-thought  of  the  enterprise  that  culminated 
in  the  statue  on  Lansdowne  Drive.  The  paragraph 
caught  the  eye  and  arrested  the  attention  of  Dr. 
Breed,  a  member  of  the  General  Assembly's  Centen- 
nial Committee.  Meeting  with  the  Rev.  Dr.  H.  A. 
Boardman,  another  member  of  this  committee,  at 
Atlantic  City,  in  July  of  that  year,  he  repeated  to 
him  the  suggestion ;  and  so  prompt  and  earnest  was 
the  response  that  Dr.  Breed  determined  to  bring 
the  subject  before  the  Centennial  Committee  at  its 
first  meeting  in  the  fall.  But  for  the  cordiality  of 
Dr.  Boardman's  response  to  the  suggestion,  it  is 
probable  that  no  action  w^ould  have  been  taken  in 
the  matter. 

The  narrative  of  Mr.  McCook  is  as  follows : 

"  On  Monday  the  20th  of  May,  1872,  at  the  morn- 
ing session  of  the  General  Assembly,  then  meeting 
in  the  Fort  Street  church,  Detroit,  Michigan,  the 
Hon.  J.  Ross  Snowden,  LL.D.,  ruling  elder  from 
the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia  North,  introduced 
certain  resolutions  with  regard  to  the  observance 
of  the   centennial   anniversary  of  American  inde- 


WITHEBSPOON.  37 

pendenec,  which  were  placed  upon  the  docket. 
This  action  proved  to  be  the  origin  of  those  patri- 
otic efforts  which  are  crowned  and  consummated 
in  the  celebration  of  this  day. 

"  Eight  days  after,  Tuesday  afternoon,  May  28th, 
the  paper  referred  to  in  this  minute  was  taken  from 
the  docket  and  was  adopted  and  read  thus : 

"  ^  TF/icreas,  The  Presbyterian  Cimrch,  wherever 
it  has  been  established,  has  been  the  firm  and  de- 
voted friend  of  civil  and  religious  liberty,  and  in 
our  land  has  supported  the  principles  upon  which 
our  free  institutions  have  been  so  happily  established 
and  maintained ;  and 

^"]Vhe7'eas,  Measures  have  already  been  taken, 
and  others  are  in  progress  and  in  contemplation,  to 
celebrate  at  Philadelphia,  Penna.,  the  Centennial 
Anniversary  of  the  independence  of  the  United 
States;  and 

"  '  Whereas,  It  may  be  expedient  and  appropriate 
that  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States 
of  America  should  take  some  part  in  celebrating 
that  great  national  epoch ;  therefore, 

'^ '  Besolvedj  That  a  committee  of  thirteen  be  ap- 
pointed to  take  this  subject  into  consideration,  and 
make  a  report  thereon  to  the  next  General  Assem- 
bly for  its  consideration,  and  for  such  action  thereon 
as  may  then  be  deemed  proper.' 

"  Whereupon  a  committee  was  appointed  consist- 
ing of  the  following  named  gentlemen :  James 
Ross  Snowden,  AYalter  H.  Lowrie,  George  Junkin, 


38  WITHEESPOON. 

George  W.  Musgrave,  Alexander  Sproull,  Henry 
A.  Boardman,  \yilliam  P.  Breed,  J.  Addison 
Henry,  William  E.  Schenck,  George  Hale,  Alfred 
Kevin,  Stephen  W.  Dana  and  William  A.  Porter. 

"  Thus  four  years  and  a  half  ago,  when  yonder 
International  Exhibition  had  scarcely  a  following 
outside  of  Pennsylvania  and  Xew  Jersey,  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  took  her  stand  side  by  side  with 
the  men  whose  faith,  courage,  foresight,  zeal  and 
liberality  have  made  the  centennial  of  independ- 
ence one  of  the  noblest  triumphs  of  the  citizen  of 
the  American  Republic. 

"  This  committee  of  thirteen  (a  fit  and  suggestive 
number  !)  has  thus  far  achieved  these  things: 

"1.  The  ingathering  of  a  vast  number  of  dis- 
courses, giving  the  local  history  of  churches  in  our 
denomination. 

"2.  The  securing  of  a  fund  for  the  permanent 
establishment  of  the  American  Presbyterian  His- 
torical Society. 

"3.  The  collection  of  orations  and  historical 
papers  prepared  by  distinguished  members  of  the 
church  at  the  invitation  of  the  General  Assembly, 
which  are  soon  to  be  issued  in  a  memorial  volume 
by  our  Board  of  Publication.* 

'^  The  first  meeting  of  the  Centennial  Committee 
following  the  summer  of  1874  was  held  October 
5th,  at  1 334  Chestnut  street,  Philadelphia.  The  min- 
utes of  this  meeting  contain  the  following  record : 
^  Centennial  Historical  Discourses.    Price,  $1.50. 


WITHEBSPOON.  39 

"  Dr.  Breed  suggested  tlie  erection  of  a  statue  to 
Dr.  Witlierspoon,  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Decla- 
ration of  Independence,  to  be  unveiled  at  the  time 
of  the  Centennial  celebration  in  1876.  Remarks 
were  made  on  the  subject  by  Drs.  Boardman,  Mus- 
grave  and  others. 

"  On  motion,  Dr.  Breed  and  the  Hon.  J.  Ross 
Snowden  were  appointed  a  committee  to  ascertain 
the  cost  of  such  a  statue,  and  to  gather  any  addi- 
tional information  on  the  subject. 

"At  the  next  meeting,  held  on  October  8th,  this 
committee  made  a  report,  which  was  adopted,  a 
public  meeting  with  reference  to  the  subject  was 
recommended,  the  enterprise  commended  to  the  co- 
operation and  liberality  of  the  churches,  and  the 
Rev.  H.  A.  Boardman,  D.  D.,  was  added  to  the 
committee  and  requested  to  act  as  chairman.  At  a 
subsequent  meeting  the  Rev.  J.  Addison  Henry 
was  added  to  the  sub-committee,  and  also  the  Rev. 
J.  B.  Dales,  D.  D.,  and  Mr.  John  Alexander,  ruling 
elder  in  the  United  Presbyterian  church. 

"  December  the  7th,  Strickland  Kneass,  Esq., 
and  Mr.  John  McArthur,  Jr.,  were  unanimously 
requested  to  act  with  the  committee  '  on  all  matters 
relating  to  the  Witlierspoon  monument,  that  the 
committee  might  have  the  benefit  of  their  counsel 
and  large  experience.' 

"  To  this  sub-committee,  consisting  of  Rev.  Dr. 
Boardman,  Dr.  Breed,  the  Rev.  J.  Addison  Henry, 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Dales,  the  Hon.  J.  Ross  Snowden, 


40  WITHERSPOON. 

Mr.  John  Alexander,  Strickland  Kneass,  Esq  , 
and  Mr.  John  McArthur,  Jr.,  was  assigned  the 
duty  of  carrying  out  the  views  of  the  committee  of 
thirteen,  and  of  securing  the  erection  of  the  monu- 
ment. On  September  20,  1875,  Dr.  Boardman 
resigned  his  place  on  the  sub-committee,  and  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Musgrave  was  chosen  in  his  stead. 

"  The  Rev.  George  Hale,  D.  D.,  was  chosen  trea- 
surer of  the  Witherspoon  memorial  fund. 

"On  Thursday  evening,  January  14,  1875,  a 
public  meeting  was  held  at  the  Assembly  Rooms, 
1334  Chestnut  street.  Two  hundred  invitations 
were  issued,  and  in  response  about  twenty  persons 
were  present.  The  Hon.  W.  A.  Porter  took  the 
chair,  and  made  an  excellent  address  on  the  charac- 
ter and  services  of  Dr. Witherspoon.  Other  address- 
es were  made,  and  among  them  a  brief  one  full  of 
enthusiasm  by  Christian  J.  Hoffman,  Esq.,  who 
pledged  himself  for  the  sum  of  $500  for  the  statue. 

"On  Tuesday  evening,  January  25,  1875,  a  pub- 
lic meeting  \vas  held  in  the  Tenth  Presbyterian 
church,  at  which  the  Hon.  Isaac  Gordon,  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  Pennsylvania,  presided.  The 
meeting  was  opened  with  prayer  by  the  Rev.  Wm. 
Blackwood,  D.  D.  On  taking  the  chair.  Judge 
Gordon  said : 

"' Only  as  we  appreciate  our  illustrious  spiritual 
ancestors  do  we  render  ourselves  worthy  of  them. 
"As  are  our  gods,  so  shall  we  be.''  Upon  this 
principle,   and  not  alone  for  mere  adoration,  the 


WITHERSPOON.  41 

Koman  kept  in  his  house  a  shrine  for  liis  household 
divinity/  Judge  Gordon  spoke  of  Witherspoon  as, 
both  in  his  native  country  and  in  this  of  liis  adop- 
tion, a  memorable  exemplar  of  the  gospel  of  which 
he  was  a  minister.  He  was  an  advocate,  not  only  of 
gospel  truth,  but  of  civil  liberty.  It  is  well  to  secure 
for  the  generations  to  come  some  visible  memorial  of 
one  in  whom  religion  was  so  united  with  patriotism. 

''The  Rev.  James  McCosh,  D.  D.,  LL.D.,  a 
successor  of  Withersjioon  in  the  presidency  of 
Princeton  College,  was  then  introduced  and  made 
an  able  address,  in  which  (as  briefly  reported  by  the 
daily  press)  he  said  : 

" '  The  Puritan  was  willing  to  undergo  any  amount 
of  suffering ;  the  Covenanter,  on  the  contrary,  did 
not  choose  that  it  should  come  upon  him.  Wither- 
spoon was  the  descendant  of  the  great  Scotch  Re- 
former, John  Knox.  Froude  has  shown  that  not 
only  was  John  Knox  a  brave  and  courageous  man, 
but  a  perfect  gentleman.  In  England  the  whole  of 
the  Reformation  cause  would  have  been  in  great 
danger  had  it  not  been  for  that  heroic  man.  John 
Welsh  was  married  to  a  daughter  of  John  Knox.  A 
daughter  of  this  lady  married  a  Mr.  Witherspoon, 
who  had  a  son,  a  minister,  and  that  son  was  the 
heroic  Dr.  Witherspoon,  who  became  president  of 
the  College  of  New  Jersey  in  1768,  and  died  near 
Princeton,  September  15,  1794.  He  communicated 
a  method  to  the  system  of  tuition  and  sent  forth 
a  large  number  of  distinguished  students.' 


42  WITHERSPOON. 

"  Dr.  McCosh  thought  the  hand  of  John  Wither- 
spoon  could  be  traced  in  our  Constitution.  He  sat 
in  Princeton  while  the  bullets  flew  around  him,  but 
he  evinced  no  fear  whatever.  He  kept  up  the  hearts 
of  the  people  even  when  the  days  were  darkest. 
The  speaker  was  glad  to  find  that  the  people  of 
Philadelphia  had  determined  to  give  this  distin- 
guished man  a  place  in  the  Centennial  Exhibition. 
He  thought  the  whole  country  would  commend 
them  for  this  work. 

"  Other  public  meetings  were  held.  Circulars  by 
thousands  were  distributed ;  wood-cuts  representing 
the  statue  were  prepared,  and  appeared  in  a  very 
large  number  of  our  religious  and  other  newspapers. 

"  A  historical  discourse  on  '  Presbyterians  and  the 
Revolution,'  presenting  the  subject  of  the  monu- 
ment, was  delivered  by  Dr.  Breed  in  more  than 
seventy  pulpits  from  Roslyn,  L.  I.,  on  the  east,  to 
Steubenville,  Ohio,  on  the  west,  in  Pittsburg, Wilkes- 
Barre  and  other  intermediate  places.  The  discourse 
was  also  delivered  before  the  General  Assembly,  at 
its  request,  during  its  session  in  the  Tabernacle 
church  in  Brooklyn  in  May,  1876.  Dr.  Breed  pre- 
sented the  cause  also  in  ten  synods  and  presbyteries. 
Three  subscriptions  of  one  thousand  dollars  each 
were  made,  one  by  the  Hon.  D.  W.  Woods  of  Lewis- 
town,  Pa.,  a  grandson  of  Dr.  Witherspoon,  another 
by  James  Lennox,  Esq.,  of  INTew  York,  and  an- 
other by  the  Hon.  Thomas  A.  Scott  of  Philadel- 
phia. 


WITHEESPOON.  43 

"In  January,  1875,  the  sub-committee  addressed 
a  note  to  Mr.  J.  A.  Bailly,  sculptor,  stating  that  while 
they  were  unable  to  make  any  formal  contract,  as 
they  had  not  the  pecuniary  means  in  hand  yet,  if 
he  was  willing  to  go  forward  with  the  statue,  they 
would  do  all  in  their  power  to  secure  the  money 
to  remunerate  him  for  his  work.  Mr.  Bailly  ex- 
pressed his  willingness,  with  this  understanding,  to 
proceed  with  the  work. 

''  On  June  29,  1875,  Mr.  Bailly  announced  to  the 
committee  that  the  model  was  ready  for  casting. 
A  large  number  of  ministers  went  together  from 
the  Ministerial  Association  to  inspect  the  model, 
and  gave  it  their  unanimous  and  cordial  approval. 
The  model  was  then  placed  in  the  hands  of  Messrs. 
Robert  Wood  &  Sons,  of  this  city ;  and  after  seven 
months'  labor  the  statue  appeared  in  bronze,  and 
was  placed  on  exhibition  on  the  1st  of  February, 
1876. 

"  That  the  monument  has  not  been  standing  here 
complete  during  the  entire  period  of  the  Centennial 
Exhibition  is  the  fault  neither  of  the  artist  nor  the 
bronze-founder.  It  was  in  the  hands  of  the  com- 
mittee in  April  last.  It  was  the  original  intention 
to  unveil  the  statue  in  the  presence  of  the  General 
Assembly  last  spring.  The  committee  wisely  de- 
clined to  arrange  for  the  ceremony  until  the  cost  of 
the  work  had  been  more  nearly  covered  by  subscrip- 
tions to  the  fund.  However,  on  the  16th  IN'ov., 
1875,   the    corner-stone   was    laid    with    suitable 


44  WITHERSPOON. 

rites.  The  day  was  inclement;  but  in  spite  of 
stormy  wind,  rain,  mist  and  mud,  the  corner-stone 
was  laid  by  Dr.  Musgrave,  chairman  of  the  Monu- 
ment Fund  Committee,  ^  in  the  name  of  the  cove- 
nant God  of  our  fathers,  the  triune  Jehovah,  Father, 
Sou  and  Holy  Ghost.'  The  company  then  sought 
refuge  in  Machinery  Hall,  where  a  masterly  oration 
was  delivered  by  Dr.  William  Adams  of  New  York. 

"  In  the  mean  time,  the  committee  had  energetic- 
ally pressed  the  collection  of  money,  and  early  in 
the  summer  saw  their  way  clear  to  arrange  for 
the  exercises  of  this  day. 

"  The  history  of  this  statue  has  a  postscrijyt.  Tra- 
dition accredits  the  ladies  with  a  happy  knack  at 
that  sort  of  appendix,  and  so  the  postscript  has 
been  written  by  them.  It  reads  thus :  ^  We  have 
been  asked  to  secure  three  thousand  dollars  in  order 
to  complete  the  monument  fund.  Those  men — 
poor  fellows ! — while  living,  w^e  have  to  help  them 
out  of  all  manner  of  troubles  and  up  to  all  manner 
of  triumphs,  and  when  they  are  dead  and  are  to 
be  helped  to  a  pillar  of  granite,  they  need  us  quite 
as  much.' 

"  The  ladies  accordingly  assembled  at  the  Assem- 
bly Room,  1334  Chestnut  street,  in  June,  1876,  and 
organized  a  ladies'  Witherspoon  auxiliary  commit- 
tee. Mrs.  David  Haddock,  Jr.,  was  elected  presi- 
dent, Mrs.  Mary  M.  Patterson  secretary,  and  Miss 
Rachel  Wetherill  treasurer.  As  Miss  Wetherill 
left  the  city  in  the  summer  of  1876  for  Europe, 


WITIIERSPOON.  45 

Mrs.  Mary  A.  Ferguson  was  chosen  treasurer   in 
her  place. 

"  The  kulies  of  the  auxiliary  set  to  work  with 
characteristic  energy,  and  this  evening,  with  the  co- 
operation of  this  goodly  company,  it  is  hoped  that 
their  postscript  to  this  epistle  on  the  Witherspoon 
statue  will  be  happily  ended  at  the  festival  in 
Bethany  Plall  in  this  wise :  *  Thank  you ;  the 
monument  fund  is  complete.  Witherspoon  stands 
upon  his  pedestal  "  owing  no  man  anything.'' ' 

"  As  this  history  has  a  postscript,  so  also  it  has  a 
^summary.'  You  remember  the  famous  saying  of 
Louis  XIV.  of  France,  '  Uetat,  c^est  moi^ — the 
State,  it  is  myself.  There  is  one  man  upon  this 
platform  who  might  with  far  greater  truth  and  pro- 
jiriety  say,  *  The  statue-history?  it  is  myself!' 
His  modesty  would  forbid  the  shadow  of  such  a 
thought,  just  as  it  has  prompted  him  to  write  to 
your  speaker  that  his  name  must  in  nowise  be 
mentioned  in  this  connection,  or  mentioned  only  in 
the  most  cursory  manner.  Nay,  verily!  That 
would  be  like  the  play  of  Hamlet  with  Hamlet  left 
out,  or  like  the  story  of  the  Revolution  with  Wash- 
ington left  out,  or  like  the  history  of  independence 
with  the  Presbyterians  left  out.  Others  have  in- 
deed had  a  becoming  part  in  this  work,  and  to  them 
are  due  the  thanks  which  we  gladly  give  them. 
But  their  part  has  been  secondary.  If  there  be 
anything  of  credit  to  our  patriotism  and  our  Pres- 
byterianism  in  the  act  of  this  day — if  there  be  any 


46  WITHERSPOON. 

honor  to  those  who  have  wrought  this  consummation 
— that  credit  has  been  won  by  and  that  honor  is  due 
to  the  admirable  patriot,  Presbyterian  pastor  and 
preacher,  William  P.  Breed. 

"  Ladies  and  gentlemen,  we  have  here  commemo- 
rated the  courage,  pluck  and  self-denial  of  the  men 
of  the  Eevolution.  But  if  you  knew  the  inner 
history  of  the  efforts  to  raise  the  money  for  this 
monument,  you  would  be  ready  to  declare  that  in 
genuine  grit  and  perseverance  of  the  saints  the 
ministers  of  to-day,  as  represented  by  our  beloved 
brother  and  friend,  are  in  no  whit  behind  the  chief- 
est  of  the  fathers.  He  has  been  the  Atlas  of  this 
Witherspoon  statue,  carrying  it  upon  his  slioulders 
to  this  date.  He  will  be  the  happiest  and  proudest 
man  in  Philadelphia  if  your  liberality  this  day  and 
night  shall  enable  him  to  lay  it  aside  and  sleep  in 
peace." 

The  Rev.  Stephen  W.  Dana,  secretary  of  the 
Centennial  Committee,  then  announced  the  follow- 
ing hymn : 

Great  God  of  nations,  now  to  thee 

Our  hymn  of  gratitude  we  raise ; 
With  liumble  heart  and  bending  knee 

"We  offer  thee  our  song  of  praise. 

Tliy  name  we  bless,  almighty  God  ! 

For  all  the  kindness  thou  hast  shown 
To  this  fair  land  the  pilgrims  trod — 

This  land  we  fondly  call  our  own. 


WITIIERSPOON.  4!J 

Here  Freedom  spreads  lier  banner  wide, 
And  casts  her  soft  and  hallowed  ray  ; 

Here  thou  our  fothers'  steps  did  guide 
In  safety  through  their  dangerous  way. 

Great  God  !  preserve  ns  in  thy  fear  ; 

In  dangers  still  our  guardian  be; 
Oh,  spread  thy  truth's  bright  precepts  here ; 

Let  all  the  people  worship  thee. 


THE  CONTENTS  OF  THE  CORNEE-STONE 

were  stated  by  the  Rev.  Samuel  Irena^us  Prime, 
D.  D.,  one  of  the  earliest  and  warmest  friends  of 
the  enterprise,  who  then  added  : 

*'  Beneath  this  statue  we  ])iit  these  documents,  in 
hope  that  they  will  remain  undisturbed  through  all 
the  coming  changes  of  time.  But  if,  in  the  revo- 
lutions of  succeeding  ages,  or  by  some  convulsion 
shaking  the  solid  earth,  they  should  have  a  resur- 
rection in  some  future  generation,  these  silent 
papers  shall  wake  up  to  tell  those  who  come  after 
us  what  the  men  were  of  this  first  Centennial  year, 
when  they  raised  this  monument  to  the  man  and 
the  men  who  laid  the  corner-stone  of  American 
independence.  God  grant  that  the  next  and  each 
succeeding  Centennial  may  rejoice  in  the  United 
States  united  still,  intelligent,  righteous  and  free, 
our  beloved  Church  stretcliing  unbroken,  the  glory 
of  the  Lord  upon  her,  over  the  North  and  the 
South,  the  East  and  West,  and  the  knowledge  of 
the  Lord  filling  the  whole  earth  from  the  rising  to 


48  WITHEESPOON. 

the  setting  sun.  Then  He  whose  right  it  is  shall 
reign,  and  the  kingdom  and  dominion,  and  the 
greatness  of  the  kingdom  under  the  whole  heaven, 
shall  be  given  to  the  people  of  saints  of  the  Most 
High.  Even  so  come,  Lord  Jesus,  come  quickly." 
The  Rev.  Wm.  E.  Schenck,  D.  D.,  of  the  Cen- 
tennial Committee,  gave  the  following 

DESCRIPTION   OF   THE  STATUE. 

"The  statue  is  of  colossal  size.  Its  height  is 
about  twelve  feet  six  inches.  The  committee  deter- 
mined upon  this  size  in  preference  to  the  heroic  or 
the  life  size,  in  order  that  the  statue  might  be  im- 
pressive and  imposing  even  under  the  dwarfing  ef- 
fects of  nature's  surrounding  magnitudes,  trees,  hill 
and  skies.  Request  was  made  of  the  artist,  Mr.  J.  A. 
Bailly,  that  in  handling  the  subject  he  would  make 
the  civilian  prominent,  since  it  was  Dr.  Wither- 
spoon's  service  as  a  civilian  that  chiefly  demanded 
this  monumental  recognition,  and  yet  that  the 
clergyman  should  also  be  distinctly  indicated.  How 
happily  he  has  responded  to  our  request  you  will 
soon  have  an  opportunity  of  seeing.  He  has  hab- 
ited the  subject  in  the  picturesque  costume  of  that 
olden  time — the  ample  coat  and  vest,  the  neat  cam- 
bric neckerchief,  the  short  clothes  and  low  shoes, 
and  hung  the  Geneva  gown  in  exceedingly  graceful 
folds  from  the  shoulder.  The  committee  cannot 
doubt  that  you  will  agree  with  them  that,  in  accu- 
racy of  portrait,  in  vivacity  of  expression^  iri  e^y 


STATUE  OF  JOHN   WITHERSPOON. 

In  Fairviount  Park,  Philadelphia. 


WITIIERSPOON.  49 

gracefulness  of  position,  Mr.  Bailly  has  left  us  very 
little  to  desire.  The  statue  contains  about  five 
thousands  pounds  of  bronze.  The  production  of 
the  model  cost  the  artist  some  six  months  of  thought 
and  toil,  and  some  seven  months  more  were  spent  in 
putting  it  into  bronze. 

"  On  careful  inspection  of  the  statue  you  will,  we 
think,  conclude  that  in  this  branch  of  workman- 
ship, as  in  so  many  others,  America  is  asserting  her 
equality  with,  if  not  her  superiority  over,  the  older 
nations  of  the  world,  and  that  while  the  bronze- 
foundry  of  Robert  Wood  &  Sons  remains  in  Phila- 
delphia, to  send  our  models  to  Munich  to  be 
embodied  in  bronze  is  a  poorly  remunerative  pro- 
ceeding. 

"The  committee  would  take  this  occasion  to 
express  their  high  appreciation  of  Mr.  Bailly's 
uniform  politeness  in  his  intercourse  with  them,  his 
courteousness  in  complying  with  their  suggestions, 
and  his  exceeding  patience  with  them  in  their  tar- 
diness in  meeting  their  pecuniary  obligation  to 
him. 

"  The  statue  stands  on  a  pedestal  of  granite 
twelve  feet  in  height,  and  the  total  cost  was  eighteen 
thousand  dollars." 

THE   EECITAL   OF   THE   INSCRIPTIONS 

on  the  monument  was  then  given  as  follows  by  the 
Rev.  Wm.  M.  Paxton,  D.  D.,  of  Xew  York : 
"On  the  east  side:   ^John  Witherspoon,  D.D., 

4 


50  WITHEBSPOON. 

LL.D.,  a  lineal  descendant  of  John  Knox,  born  in 
Scotland  February  5,  1722;  ordained  minister  in  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  1745;  president  of  the  Col- 
lege of  New  Jersey,  1768-1794.  The  only  clergy- 
man in  the  Continental  Congress ;  a  signer  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence;  died  at  Princeton, 
N.  J.,  Iv'ovember  15,  1794.' 

*^  On  the  west  side  :  ^  This  statue  is  erected  under 
the  authority  of  a  committee  appointed  by  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the 
United  States  of  America,  July  4,  1876.' 

"  On  the  south  side :  ^  Proclaim  liberty  through- 
out all  the  land,  unto  all  the  inhabitants  thereof. 
Lev.  XX.  10.' 

"  On  the  north  side :  ^  For  my  own  part,  of  pro- 
perty I  have  some,  of  reputation  more ;  that  repu- 
tation is  staked,  that  property  is  pledged,  on  the 
issue  of  this  contest.  And  although  these  gray 
hairs  must  soon  descend  into  the  sepulchre,  I  would 
infinitely  rather  that  they  should  descend  thither 
by  the  hand  of  the  executioner  than  desert  at  this 
crisis  the  sacred  cause  of  my  country. — Dr.  Wither- 
spoon.' " 

Just  as  Dr.  Paxton  pronounced  the  word  country 
the  Hon.  D.  AY.  Woods  of  Lewistown,  Pa.,  a  grand- 
son of  Dr.  Witherspoon,  pulled  a  cord,  and  the  flag 
which  had  enveloped  the  statue  fell,  suddenly  ex- 
posing to  view  the  colossal  form  of  Witherspoon. 
A  thrill  of  surprise  and  admiration  ran  through 
the  crowd.     The  speaker  was  for  the  moment  for- 


WITHERSPOON.  51 

gotten,  and  shouts  of  applause  rent  the  air.  When 
quiet  was  restored,  Dr.  Paxton  proceeded  as  follows  : 

"  That  monument  may  })erish,  but  this  sentiment 
(of  Witherspoon's)  will  live  for  ever.  As  the  re- 
ward of  that  act  (his  signature  to  the  Declaration 
of  Independence)  he  expected  the  executioner's  axe, 
but  instead  of  this  he  has  found  the  sculptor's 
chisel.  He  staked  his  reputation  upon  the  issue  of 
that  crisis,  and  has  won  immortality.  He  staked 
his  property,  and  he  himself  has  become  the  prop- 
erty of  his  countrymen. 

"  We  have  now  lifted  the  veil  to  let  the  old  hero 
look  out  on  the  progress  of  a  century.  If  he  could 
at  this  moment  stand  here  alive,  with  what  amaze- 
ment would  he  gaze  upon  this  scene !  The  infant 
which  they  cradled  in  Independence  Hall  has 
sprung  into  a  giant.  Whilst  other  nations  have 
reached  their  maturity  by  a  slow  growth  of  from 
five  to  ten  centuries,  this  nation  has  sprung  into  its 
present  greatness  as  by  a  single  bound  in  the  short 
space  of  a  single  century.  With  what  wonder 
would  he  look  out  upon  this  Centennial  scene! 
Great  Britain,  standing  no  longer  in  hostile  array, 
is  vicing  with  us  in  the  arts  of  peace ;  Egypt,  the 
oldest  of  nations,  is  offering  her  morning  salutation 
to  America,  youngest  of  nations ;  whilst  all  the 
other  nations  of  the  earth  are  sitting  at  our  feet  to 
learn  the  arts  of  progress. 

"But  there  is  one  other  inscription  yet  to  be 
placed  upon  this  pedestal.     It  will  read  thus :  ^  This 


52  WITEERSPOON. 

pedestal,  the  gift  of  the  Presbyterian  women  of 
Philadelphia  and  vicinity/  When  this  inscription 
is  completed,  this  monument  will  become  an  annex 
of  the  Women's  Department  as  an  exhibition  of 
women's  work.  God  bless  the  women  !  If  they 
are  not  first  in  war,  they  are  always  first  in  peace 
and  first  in  the  hearts  of  their  countrymen." 

The  Pev.  J.  Addison  Henry,  of  the  Sub-com- 
mittee, then  gave  out  the  following  hymn,  which 
was  sung  with  great  enthusiasm  by  the  multitude : 

"  God  bless  our  native  land ! 
Firm  may  she  ever  stand 

Through  storm  and  night ; 
When  the  wild  tempests  rave, 
Ruler  of  wind  and  wave  ! 
Do  thou  our  country  save 

By  thy  great  might. 

"  For  her  our  prayer  shall  rise 
To  God  above  the  skies, 

On  him  we  wait ; 
Thou  who  art  ever  nigh, 
Guardian  with  watchful  eye ! 
To  thee  aloud  we  cry ; 

God  save  the  State. 

"  Our  fathers'  God !  to  thee. 
Author  of  liberty, 
To  thee  we  sing ; 
Long  may  our  land  be  bright 
With  Freedom's  holy  light ; 
Protect  us  by  thy  might, 
Great  God,  our  King." 


WITIIERSPOON.  53 

THE   ORATION   OF   GOVERNOR    BEDLE. 

In  introducing  Governor  Beclle,  Dr.  Breed  re- 
marked:  "The  statue  has  been  unveiled  by  a 
grandson  of  Dr.  Witherspoon.  And  now  we  are 
to  listen  to  an  oration  upon  Witherspoon  by  His 
Excellency,  Joseph  D.  Bedle,  President  of  the 
board  of  Trustees  of  the  College  of  which  With- 
erspoon was  president,  and  Governor  of  the  State 
which  sent  Witherspoon  to  the  Continental  Con- 
gress, and  last,  though  not  least,  Ruling  Elder  in 
the  Presbyterian  Church." 

Governor  Bedle  was  welcomed  with  warm  ap- 
plause, and  spoke  as  follows  : 

ORATION  OF  GOVERNOR  BEDLE  OF  NEW  JERSEY. 

"  Eighty-two  years,  almost,  have  passed  since  Dr. 
John  Witherspoon  died.  This  statue  is  erected,  not 
by  personal  friends  and  adherents,  but  by  a  posterity 
W'ho  knew  him  not,  and  who  see  standing  out  in 
bold  relief,  at  the  close  of  a  century  of  national 
existence,  his  virtues  and  powers,  and  the  great  good 
he  wrought  for  the  cause  of  God  and  the  rights  of 
man.  His  remains  rest  in  the  cemetery  at  Prince- 
ton, hard  by  the  college  he  loved  and  adorned, 
while  here  the  representation  of  his  living  form  is 
set  up  to  keep  alive  his  memory  and  to  impress  its 
lessons  upon  the  land.  No  more  fitting  place  than 
this  could  be  selected  for  such  an  object.  Plcre,  in 
l*hiladel|)hia,  was  the  centre  of  early  Presbyterian- 
ism  in  this  country ;  here  within  a  few  miles  stood 


I 


/ 


54        ^— — W^THERSPO  ON. 


the  ^  log  college/  the  precursor  df  Princeton, Jand 
in  its  day  the  chief  dependence  or  the  Church  for 
the  education  of  its  ministry ;  here  he  voted  for  and 
signed  the  Declaration  of  Independence;  here  he 
spent  the  most  of  his  public  life;  here,  as  a  member  of 
the  Synod  of  New  York  and  Philadelphia,  he  ren- 
dered essential  service  in  the  formation  of  a  general 
government  for  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the 
United  States ;  and  hei-e  he  called  to  order  the  first 
General  Assembly  and  preached  the  opening  ser- 
mon.      ^--=--   — — .      --- 

"  Dr.  Witherspoon  came  to  America  at  the  age 

of  forty-six  years,  in  the  full  maturity  of  manhood, 

ri|)fi.with  experience,  strong  in  mental  endowments 

and   religious  faith,  and   intensely  earnest  in  the 

work  and   duties  of  life.      He  w^as    born  ^in   the 

parish  of  Yester,  in  Scotland,  February  5,  ;1722. 

His  father  was  a  minister  of  distinguished  piety, 

and  an  accurate  scholar.     His  mother  was  a  lineal 

descendant   of    John   Knox,  the   great  Reformer. 

These  were  worthy  parents  of  a  noble  son.     His 

early  education  was  obtained  at  a  public  school  in 

Haddington.     There  he  soon  developed  that  habit 

of  industry,  keenness  of  observation  and  soundness 

of  judgment  which  were  strong  characteristics  in 

after-life.    He  entered  the  University  of  Edinburgh- 

\  at   the   age   of  fourteen   years,  and    having   been 

\  thoroughly  educated  -and  prepared  was  licensed  to 

j  preach  in  the  year  1743.     He  was  then  invited  to 

/become  an  assistant  to  his  father,  but  wisely  de- 


WITHERSPOON.  65 

clined;  for  with  his  tendency  to  independence  of 
thought  and  action,  to  rely  upon  himself  was  essential 
to  success.  In  1745  he  became  settled  over  the  parish 
of  Beith,  in  Western  Scotland,  where  he  continued 
until  1757,  when  he  was  installed  as  pastor  of  the 
Low  Church  in  the  flourishing  town  of  Paisley, 
where  he  remained  until  called  to  the  presidency  of 
the  College  of  New  Jersey.  For  twenty-five  years  he 
faithfully  served  as  a  Presbyterian  minister  in  his 
native  Scotland,  during  which  time  he  became  illus- 
trious as  a  theologian,  deeply  learned  in  doctrine  and 
church  polity,  a  most  skillful  advocate  in  matters 
ecclesiastical,  and  eminent  both  in  the  pulpit  and  in 
the  field  of  religious  literature.  He  was  a  rigid  ad- 
herent to  the  fundamental  principles  of  Christianity, 
and  inexorable  in  requiring  their  practice  in  daily 
life.  He  was  not  a  mere  theorist,  but  a  man  of  broad 
practical  sense,  filled  with  earnest  piety  and  zeal.  . 
"  His  writings  within  that  period  evince  the  most 
careful  thought,  and  show  a  boldness  and  force  of 
expression  which  excited  not  only  the  admiration  of 
his  friends,  but  the  respect  and  dread  of  his  antag- 
onists. A  man  with  his  positive  and  aggressive 
mind  could  not  escape  antagonisms;  and  true  to  his 
nature,  he  could  not  witness  what  he  regarded  as 
abuses  in  the  Church  without  a  combat.  In  1753, 
while  at  Beith,  he  published  anonymously  the  Ec- 
dcsiastical  Characteristics ,  or  the  Arcana  of  Church 
Policy,  it  being  an  able  satire  directed  against  those 
known  at  tliat  time  in  the  Church  of  Scotland  as 


56  WITHERSPOON. 

the  moderate  clergy,  who,  in  his  judgment,  were  dis- 
posed to  defer  too  much  to  the  popular  notions  of 
life,  and  use  their  sacred  offices  as  a  means  of 
patronage  and  for  worldly  favor.  This  book  ex- 
cited a  feeling  of  hostility  against  him  on  the  part 
of  those  his  arrows  were  intended  to  hit.  The 
authorship  was  generally  attributed  to  him;  and 
when  called  to  Paisley,  he  encountered  strong 
opposition  for  that  reason  in  the  presbytery.  In  a 
masterly  speech  (of  the  kind)  before  the  Synod 
of  Glasgow  he  not  only  defended  the  book,  with- 
out avowing  its  authorship,  but  denied  the  right  of 
the  presbytery  to  make  that  the  test  of  his  settle- 
ment. He  afterwards  wrote  a  paper  entitled  A 
Serious  Apology  for  the  Characteristics,  which  dis- 
tinctly revealed  him  as  the  author,  and  in  which 
he  gave  the  reasons  for  writing  it.  It  is  no  part  of 
my  purpose  to  review  the  condition  of  the  Scottish 
Church  in  those  days,  nor  the  nature  of  the  contro- 
versy in  which  Dr.  Witherspoon  was  the  represen- 
tative on  one  side  and  Dr.  Robertson,  the  historian, 
on  the  other.  The  former  belonged  to  what  was 
called  the  orthodox  party,  and  the  blows  he  dealt 
proved  him  to  be  a  leader  of  superior  thought  and 
power.  As  a  controversialist  he  was  logical,  vigor- 
ous and  courageous.  His  Christianity  was  aggres- 
sive, and  errors  in  doctrine  or  vices  in  practice  met 
his  hearty  condemnation. 

"  He  thought  clearly  and  strongly,  and  had  great 
energy,  without  being  an  enthusiast,  in  the  accom- 


WITIIERSPOON.  67 

plishmcnt  of  his  purposes.  The  fame  of  his  ability 
and  publications  had  preceded  him  to  this  Western 
world,  and  while  in  the  midst  of  his  success  and 
usefulness  at  Paisley,  and  his  unconscious  prepara- 
tion for  new  and  untried  duties.  Providence  was 
providing  for  him  in  this  distant  land  another  field, 
in  which  his  varied  powers  would  have  greater 
scope,  and  for  which  the  training  and  experience  of 
his  life  had  fitted  him.  Dr.  Finlay,  the  president 
of  the  College  of  New  Jersey,  having  died,  the 
trustees,  in  November,  1766,  elected  him  to  that 
office.  A  copy  of  the  minute  of  his  election  was 
transmitted  to  Richard  Stockton,  a  member  of  the 
Board,  who  then  was  in  London,  w^ith  a  request 
that  he  make  personal  application  to  Dr.  Wither- 
spoon  and  urge  his  acceptance.  Other  intercession, 
personal  and  by  letters,  of  the  most  persuasive  kind,  \ 
was  also  sought.  Mr.  Stockton  went  to  Scotland/ 
and  used  his  utmost  efforts  to  induce  him  to  accept/ 
and  in  a  letter  from  London  to  Mrs.  Stockton, 
dated  March,  1767,  Mr.  Stockton  states  that  ^it  is 
a  matter  absolutely  certain  that  if  I  had  not  gone 
in  person  to  Scotland,  Dr.  Witherspoon  would  not 
have  had  a  serious  thought  of  accepting  the  office, 
because  neither  he  nor  any  of  his  friends  with- whom 
he  would  have  consulted  had  any  tolerable  idea  of 
the  place  to  which  he  was  invited,  had  no  adequate 
notions  of  the  importance  of  the  College  of  New 
Jersey,  and,  more  than  all,  would  have  been  entirely 
discouraged  of  thinking  of  an  acceptance,  from  an 


58  WITHERSPOON. 

artful,  plausible,  yet  wickedly  contrived  letter  sent 
from  Philadelphia  to  a  gentleman  of  Edinburgh.' 

"  He  further  states,  *  I  was  so  happy  as  to  have 
entire  confidence  placed  in  me  by  Dr.  Witherspoon, 
and  thereby  I  was  enabled  to  come  fairly  at  him. 
I  certainly  have  succeeded  in  removing  all  the  ob- 
jections which  have  originated  in  his  own  mind. 
Those  of  Mrs.  AVitherspoon  I  could  not  remove, 
because  she  would  not  give  me  an  opportunity  of 
conversing  with  her,  although  I  went  from  Edin- 
burgh to  Paisley,  fifty  miles,  on  purpose.  After  I 
returned  from  Paisley  to  Edinburgh  letters  passed 
between  Dr.  Witherspoon  and  me,  whereby  I  have 
received  some  hopes  that  she  may  be  brought  over.' 
At  the  close  of  the  letter  he  says,  '  I  have  taken  most 
effectual  measures  to  make  her  refusal  very  trouble- 
some to  her.  I  have  engaged  all  the  eminent  clergy- 
men in  Edinburgh  and  Glasgow  to  attack  her  in 
her  entrenchments,  and  they  are  determined  to  take 
her  by  storm,  if  nothing  else  will  do.  This  has  a 
favorable  aspect,  and  is,  at  the  same  time,  surprising, 
because  they  were  upon  my  first  coming  so  unwilling 
to  part  with  her  husband,  but  the  light  in  which  I 
have  set  the  affairs  of  the  college  has  made  them 
perfect  proselytes.'  This  letter  is  found  in  Field's 
Provincial  Courts  of  New  Jersey,  and  I  have  given 
the  most  of  it  for  the  reason  it  exhibits  the  standing 
of  Dr.  Witherspoon  amongst  his  brethren  at  that 
day,  the  want  of  knowledge  abroad  of  the  college, 
and  the  peculiar  facts  and  obstacles  in  relation  to 


WITHERSPOO-N.  69 

his  coming.  These  efforts  were  at  first  unavailing, 
and  he  was  constrained  to  decline,  the  chief  cause 
being  the  unwillingness  of  his  wife  to  leave  kindred 
and  friends  and  adopt  a  new  and  distant  home.  To 
this  he  deferred,  and  finally  concluded  that  without 
her  consent  he  would  not  accept.  But  how  strangely 
and  w^onderfully  human  will  and  action  were  over- 
ruled for  good  !  It  seemed  as  though  all  hope  of 
having  Dr.  Witherspoon  as  president  of  the  college  1 
liad  ended.  The  trustees,  believing  the  conclusion 
final,  on  October  2,  1767,  elected  the  Kev.  Samuel 
Blair,  of  Boston — a  young  man  of  ability,  but  only 
about  thirty  years  of  age — to  the  presidency.  Pend- 
ing his  consideration  of  that  action,  it  became 
known  that  the  difficulties  in  the  mind  of  Mrs. 
"Witherspoon  had  been  removed,  and  that  her  hus- 
band would  deem  it  a  duty  to  accept  if  re-elected. 
Mr.  Blair  thereupon,  with  a  magnanimity  commend- 
able and  which  deeply  touched  the  doctor,  declined 
the  appointment,  and  on  December  9,  1767,  the 
board  of  trustees,  with  peculiar  satisfaction,  by  a 
unanimous  vote,  again  elected  him  as  president. 
He  with  his  family  reached  our  shores  in  August, 
1768,  and  on  the  17th  of  that  month  took  the  oath 
of  office ;  but  his  work  in  behalf  of  the  college 
had  previously  commenced.  Before  coming  he 
visited  London  and  Holland,  rendering  ^eminent 
services  to  the  college,'  as  it  is  expressed  upon  the 
minutes  of  the  Board.  Those  services  consisted  in 
procuring  contributions  of  funds  and  books.      It 


\ 


60  WITHERSPOON. 

was  a  great  gratification  to  Dr.  Witherspoon  to  have 
the  objections  of  his  wife  removed.  That  fact  is 
stated  in  a  letter  from  a  gentleman  in  Edinburgh 
to  Mr.  Stockton,  of  August  22,  1767.  To  her 
honor  be  it  said  that  she  cheerfully  acquiesced  in 
his  acceptance,  and  thus  did  Dr.  Witherspoon 
relinquish  home,  relatives,  friends  and  the  advan- 
tages and  comforts  of  advanced  cultured  surround- 
ings, and  come  to  this  new  land,  where  Presby- 
terianism  was  yet  in  its  infancy  and  institutions  of 
learning  were  struggling  for  support.  He  came  to 
accept  the  presidency  of  Princeton  College  and  to 
promote  the  cause  of  learning  and  religion  here. 

"Such  was  his  purpose  alone,  but  unconsciously  to 
him  the  Almighty  intended  to  enlarge  the  sphere 
of  his  usefulness  and  make  him  a  founder  of  the 
republic. 

"In  one  of  the  ^ Druid'  articles,  published  in 
1781,  he  wrote,  ^When  I  first  came  into  this  coun- 
try, nothing  was  farther  from  my  expectation  than 
the  contest  that  has  now  taken  place  between  Great 
Britain  and  the  colonies.'  The  Stamp  Act  had 
then  been  passed,  been  resisted,  and  was  repealed. 
The  dispute  between  the  mother-country  and  her 
colonies  was  then  in  existence,  deep-seated  and 
earnest,  yet  conflict  by  arms  and  independence  were 
not  expected.  Although  the  Revolution  was  the 
result  of  a  principle  insisted  upon  by  the  colonies 
and  denied  by  Great  Britain,  which  naturally  and 
necessarily  led  to  independence,  yet  the  public  mind 


WITUERSPOON.  61 

was  not  Jiriposed  to  forcible  resistance  and  inde- 
pendence until  the  same  became  inevitable.  The 
colonies  resisted  every  measure  of  Parliament, 
directly  or  indirectly,  to  tax  tliem  without  rej^resen- 
tation,  but  they  did  it,  until  the  crisis  came,  chiefly 
by  remonstrance,  non-importation,  non-consump- 
tion and  non-exportation  schemes.  These  were 
effective  for  a  time  in  inducing  Parliament  to  recede 
from  much  of  its  odious  legislation,  although  without 
abandoning  the  right  claimed  to  tax  the  colonies; 
but  at  length  it  was  attempted  to  enforce  the  claim 
by  bayonets  and  retaliatory  laws,  and  then  submis- 
sion or  unity  of  defence,  and  then  independence,  be- 
came a  necessity.  The  principle  involved  was  so  vital 
to  the  dearest  chartered  and  natural  rights  of  the 
people  that  submission  was  impossible.  The  world 
has  never  seen  a  revolution  in  which  there  was  as 
little  of  selfish,  restive  ambition  as  the  American. 

"  The  conflict,  the  Declaration  of  Independence, 
the  Articles  of  Confederation  and  the  Constitution, 
in  which  were  gathered  up  the  results  of  the  Revo- 
lution, were  the  natural  outgrowth  and  sure  con- 
sequence of  the  habits  and  principles  of  a  people 
who  in  freedom  had  reclaimed  the  wilderness,  and 
by  whose  industry  and  sterling  worth  it  had  become 
productive  and  prosperous.  Notwithstanding  that 
there  was  so  much  in  a  common  language  and 
blood  and  customs  of  life  between  the  old  country 
and  the  new  that  the  people  were  slow  to  resort  to 
independence,    Dr.  Witherspoon,    with    his    clear 


62  WITHERSPOON. 

perception,  accurate  judgment  and  strong  convic- 
tions of  right,  soon  comprehended  the  nature  of  the 
dispute  and  its  leadings,  and  not  only  ardently 
espoused  the  cause  of  the  colonies,  but  early  be- 
lieved and  urged  that  they  should  unite  for  defence 
and  declare  for  independence.  Naturally  he  found 
himself  an  advocate  of  the  rights  of  the  colonies, 
and  the  people  of  his  adopted  State,  seeing  in  him 
the  qualities  necessary  for  the  times,  called  him  to  be 
a  leader. 

"  Previous,  however,  to  his  entrance  into  political 
life,  he  had  devoted  himself  with  marked  faithful- 
ness and  ability  to  the  interests  of  the  college  and 
the  work  of  his  Church.  In  the  presbytery  and 
synod  he  always  took  a  prominent  part.  In  the 
synod  particularly  he  had  great  influence  by  reason 
of  his  experience  in  the  Church  of  Scotland  and 
his  knowledge  of  ecclesiastical  law  and  doctrine. 
The  records  show  that  he  was  upon  the  most  import- 
ant committees.  Calvinism  produces  strong  men, 
and  the  Presbyterian  Church  even  in  thos€  early  days 
had  many.  Among  them — his  contemporaries — 
none  were  greater  than  he,  and  none  more  ready 
than  they  to  recognize  his  worth,  abilities  and  use- 
fulness. In  the  latter  days  of  the  Synod  of  New 
York  and  Philadelphia  he  aided  largely  in  the 
preparation  and  adoption  of  the  standards  of  the 
Church,  and  in  the  formation  of  the  General  As- 
sembly and  the  four  synods  to  which  the  old  synod 
gave  place.    The  old  synod,  among  its  closing  acts, 


WITIIERSPOOK  08 

] 
appointed  him  to  open  the  first  General  Assembly  j 

with  a  sermon  and  to  preside  until   a   moderator  / 

should  be  elected.     That  duty  he  performed  in  this  ' 

city  on  third  Tuesday  of  May,  1789,  two  months 

after  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  virtually 

went  into  effect. 

"  The  organization  of  the  General  Assembly  and  I 
the  commencement  of  proceedings  under  the  Con-/ 
stitution  were  about  contemporaneous,  and  the  gov-/ 
ernment  of  the  Church  and  nation  were  both  repub* 
lican.     Dr.  Witherspoon   was   an  important  actor 
in   events   leading   to  the   establishment  of  each,    , 
and  the  honor  of  like  services  no  other  man  had. 
He   was   the   only  clergyman   in  the  Continental    I 
Congress,  and  was  there  not  as  a  politician  merely, 
but  peculiarly  for  his  patriotism  and  wisdom. 

"  His  great  services  to  the  college  are  universally 
conceded.  That  college  was  founded  in  the  year 
1746,  and  was  conducted  first  at  Elizabethtown,  in 
New  Jersey,  under  the  presidency  of  Jonathan 
Dickinson,  then  continued  at  Newark,  under  the 
presidency  of  Aaron  Burr.  After  his  death  it  was  \ 
removed  to  Princeton,  Nassau  Hall  having  been 
erected  in  the  mean  time.  Jonathan  Edwards  suc- 
ceeded Burr,  and  Edwards  was  succeeded  by  Finley, 
and  Finley  by  Witherspoon.  Previous  to  \yither- 
spoon's  presidency  the  college  had  been  conducted 
by  the  president  and  tutors,  except  as  to  a  profes- 
sorship of  divinity  and  moral  philosophy,  to  which 
the  Rev.  John   Blair   was   appointed   Octo])er  2, 

\ 


64  WITHERSPOON. 

1767,  and  in  which  he  continued  until  April,  1769, 
when  he  resigned,  owing  to  the  inability  of  the 
Board  to  support  a  separate  professorship,  and  Dr. 
Witherspoon  then  performed  its  duties. 

"During  his  presidency,  up  to  the  time  of  the 
war,  Dr.  Witherspoon  was  most  assiduous  in  his 
efforts  to  improve  the  financial  condition  of  the 
college  and  to  elevate  the  standared  of  instruc- 
tion. In  both  he  was  very  successful,  and  I  cannot 
better  state  the  results  than  in  the  language  of  Dr. 
Ashbel  Green:  *In  the  period  of  less  than  eight 
years,  which  intervened  between  his  arrival  in 
America  and  his  entrance  into  political  life,  the 
number  of  students  in  the  college  was  considerably 
increased,  the  course  of  the  study  was  greatly  im- 
proved, the  funds  of  the  institution,  which  had 
been  nearly  exhausted,  were  replenished,  and  its 
reputation  was  widely  extended.  In  a  word,  Nas- 
sau Hall  had  never  before  risen  to  an  elevation  of 
character  such  as  it  then  possessed.'  In  a  minute 
of  September  2,  1770,  the  trustees  say  that  they 
are  fully  satisfied  of  his  great  abilities  in  the 
management  of  the  institution,  and  with  high  plea- 
sure have  seen  his  indefatigable  labors  and  success 
in  raising  the  reputation  of  the  college.  This  was 
a  just  tribute  from  a  very  able  Board.  His  par- 
ticular services  in  the  elevation  and  extension  of  the 
curriculum  of  instruction  must  be  left  to  the  pens 
of  others  more  experienced  and  more  familiar  with 
the  history  of  the  college.     The  whole  course  was 


WITIIERSPOON.  65 

enlarged  and  improved,  especially  in  mathematics, 
mental  and  moral  philoso})hy.  His  college  duties 
Avere  also  supplemented  with  the  pastorate  of 
the  church  in  Princeton  of  which  the  lamented 
Dr.  McDonald  was  lately  pastor.  From  all  con- 
temporaneous and  subsequent  reference  we  gather 
but  one  opinion — that  up  to  the  war,  through  his 
instrumentality,  the  college  had  become  prosperous 
and  strong. 

"  The  State  of  New  Jersey  having  been  overrun 
by  the  enemy,  the  students  were  scattered,  and  the 
college  became  a  barrack,  first  for  the  British  and 
then  for  our  own  forces ;  the  library  was  despoiled 
and  the  philosophical  apparatus  mostly  destroyed. 
The  church  where  he  preached  was  also  rifled  of 
its  pews  for  firewood,  and  his  farm  was  plundered 
of  its  stock.  It  cost  something  to  be  a  patriot'^! 
in  those  days,  and  Dr.  Witherspoon  paid  for  it  -J 
early. 

**  During  the  dispersion  of  the  college  the  trustees 
met  once,  in  May,  1777,  at  Cooper's  Ferry,  opposite 
this  city,  and  authorized  Dr.  Witherspoon,  if  the 
enemy  removed  out  of  the  State,  to  call  the  students 
together  at  Princeton  and  proceed  with  their  educa- 
tion in  the  best  manner  he  could,  considering  the 
state  of  public  affairs ;  and  if  more  students  could  be 
collected  than  he  could  instruct  himself,  to  obtain 
such  assistance  as  might  be  necessary.  As  soon  as 
circumstances  allowed,  but  gradually,  the  college- 
buildings  were  cleansed  and  repaired,  and  by  his 

5 


6Q  WITHERSPOON. 

efforts,  with  the  assistance  of  Prof.  Houston,  the 
institution  struggled  along  with  a  feeble  existence. 

"  In  the  commission  of  the  trustees  to  Dr.  With- 
erspoon  and  General  Eeed  to  go  to  Great  Britain 
for  the  collection  of  funds — which  commission  bears 
date  October  22,  1783— they  state  that  Hhe  very 
existence  of  this  benevolent  and  useful  institution 
has  become  doubtful,  unless  some  certain  and  effect- 
ive relief  can  be  obtained  from  the  friends  of 
virtue  and  benevolence  who  have  not  been  exposed 
to  such  dreadful  calamity.'  The  trip  was  taken, 
but  it  was  a  mistake,  for  the  public  mind  abroad 
was  not  in  a  proper  temper  to  assist  a  rebellious  col- 
lege. The  college  had  been  rebellious  to  its  very 
core.  The  result  of  that  effort  was  entirely  fruit- 
less, for  the  net  amount  received,  after  deducting 
expenses,  was  only  five  pounds  fourteen  shillings. 
This  incited  to  greater  efforts  at  home;  appeals 
were  made  to  the  presbyteries,  and  in  that  way  a 
nucleus  of  support  was  established,  and  the  college 
was  enabled  to  start  off  in  its  advancing  career. 
Under  the  blessing  of  Providence  it  has  become  a 
giant  among  colleges,  scattering  its  influences  far 
and  wide,  and  having  its  representatives  in  the 
highest  positions  of  the  State,  the  Church,  the  pro- 
fessions and  in  literature. 

"  Dr.  Witherspoon  continued  in  the  presidency  to 
his  death,  and  although  in  the  latter  part  of  his 
life  not  engaged  in  its  active  duties,  yet  giving  the 
weight  of  his  character  and  influence  to  the  success 


WITIIERSPOON.  67 

of  the  college.  To  the  Presbyterian  Church  and 
the  college  his  services  were  invaluable,  and  to  our 
country  eijually  30.  He  was  not  a  politician  in 
any  modern  sense.  lie  was  called  by  the  people 
because  he  had  in  him  the  elements  of  a  statesman 
and  could  guide  in  the  midst  of  the  storm.  Pre- 
vious to  his  election  as  a  member  of  the  Provincial 
Congress  of  New  Jersey,  and  on  May  17,  1776, 
being  a  fast-day  appointed  by  the  Continental  Con- 
gress, lie  delivered  a  most  remarkable  discourse  on 
*the  dominion  of  Providence  over  the  passions  of 
men,'  in  which  he  affirmed  that  the  cause  in  which 
America  was  then  in  arms  was  the  cause  of  justice, 
of  liberty  and  of  human  nature;  and  earnestly 
exhorted  the  people  to  union,  firmness  and  patience, 
industry  and  frugality  and  dependence  upon  and 
trust  in  Almighty  God. 

'^  I  will  not  attempt  an  analysis  of  that  sermon. 
It  must  be  read  to  be  appreciated ;  its  truths  and 
lessons  were  striking  evidences  of  his  wisdom  and 
power.  That  was  the  first  time,  he  said,  that  he 
had  introduced  any  political  subject  into  the  pulpit. 
The  occasion  was  most  extraordinary,  and  he  needs 
no  apology.  He  was  elected  a  delegate  to  the  New 
Jersey  Provincial  Congress  after  this  sermon,  at 
the  close  of  the  month  in  which  it  was  delivered. 
The  Congress  met  in  Burlington,  June  11,  1776^ 
and  was  opened  with  prayer  by  Dr.  Witherspoon. 

"He  continued  there  only  a  short  time,  for  he 
was  soon  appointed  a  delegate  to  the  Continental 


68  WITHERSPOON. 

Congress,  but  long  enough  to  aid  In  completely 
extinguishing  the  royal  government  in  the  colony 
and  in  forming  another.  He  voted  that  the  proc- 
clamation  of  Governor  Franklin  calling  a  session 
of  the  Royal  Assembly  should  be  disobeyed,  also 
that  he  (Franklin)  was  an  enemy  to  the  liberties  of 
the  country,  and  that  his  person  should  be  secured. 
Franklin,  refusing  to  sign  a  parole,  was  brought 
before  the  Provincial  Congress.  His  speech  was 
so  denunciatory  of  the  members,  and  his  manner 
so  contemptuous  of  their  authority,  that  Dr.  With- 
spoon  could  not  withstand  the  temptation  of  in- 
dulging in  the  most  bitter  sarcasm — a  weapon 
he  could  use  with  great  power  when  necessary. 
Franklin  was  ordered  to  be  confined  in  such  place 
as  the  Continental  Congress  should  direct.  In 
obedience  thereto  he  was  removed  to  Connecticut ; 
and  thus  ended  the  government  of  the  king  in 
New  Jersey.  Witherspoon  was  very  earnest  in  the 
action.  The  measure  was  apparently  harsh,  but 
justifiable  as  an  act  of  revolution. 

"On  the  day  on  which  Franklin  was  brought 
before  the  Provincial  Congress,  which  was  June 
21,  1776,  a  resolution  w^as  adopted — for  which 
Dr.  Witherspoon  voted — that  a  government  be 
formed  for  regulating  the  internal  police  of  the 
colony.  The  next  day  five  persons  were  elected 
to  represent  the  colony  in  the  Continental  Con- 
gress— viz.,  Richard  Stockton,  Abraham  Clark, 
John  Hart,  Francis  Hopkinson  and  Dr.  Wither- 


WITHERSPOON.  69 

spoon — who  were  instructed  to  join  with  the  dele- 
gates of  tlie  other  colonies  in  the  most  vigorous 
measures  for  supporting  the  just  rights  and 
liberties  of  America,  and  empowered,  if  they 
should  judge  it  necessary  and  expedient,  to  join 
with  them  in  declaring  the  United  Colonies  inde- 
pendent of  Great  Britain,  and  to  enter  into  a  con- 
federation for  union  and  common  defence.  The^ 
resolution  to  form  a  government  was  followed  up 
by  immediate  action  to  accomplish  it,  and  July  2, 
1776,  a  constitution  was  adopted  under  which  the 
people  of  New  Jersey  lived  and  prospered  until 
1844,  when  the  present  constitution  took  its  place. 
A  committee  to  draft  the  constitution  was  appointed 
June  24th,  and  they  reported  the  same  within  two 
days  after.  The  work  could  hardly  have  been  done 
within  that  time.  Some  thoughtful  minds  must 
have  been  engaged  in  its  substantial  preparation 
before  tlie  appointment  of  the  committee.  Judge 
Elmer,  whose  opportunities  for  information  and 
accuracy  of  research  are  well  known,  states  in 
his  Reminiscences  of  New  Jersey  that  *  it  has 
always  been  understood  that  the  Rev.  Dr.  John 
Witherspoon,  President  of  Princeton  College,  took 
an  active  part  in  preparing  it.'  He  also  states  that 
^two  eminent  lawyers,  Jona.  Dickinson  Sergeant 
and  John  Cleves  Symms,  were  on  the  committee, 
but  the  instrument  bears  quite  as  prominent  marks 
of  a  clerical  as  of  a  legal  origin.'  Dr.  Wither- 
spoon  was  probably  not  put  upon  the  committee 


70  WITHERSPOON. 

because  of  his  previous  election  to  the  Continental 
Congress.  The  constitution  of  New  Jersey  was 
adopted  two  days  before  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence; and  although  then  absent  in  Philadel- 
piiia,  Dr.  Witherspoon  was  a  master-spirit  in  giving 
it  an  impetus  and  in  securing  the  independence  of 
the  colony. 

"  Bat  a  wider  and  grander  field  of  duty  has  now 
opened,  in  which  he  is  to  aid  in  launching  into 
existence  a  nation  and  guiding  it  through  darkness 
and  tempest.  The  new  delegates  from  New  Jersey 
appeared  in  the  Continental  Congress  pending  the 
debate  upon  the  question  of  independence.  There 
had  been  a  doubt  as  to  the  power  of  the  delegates 
who  preceded  these  to  vote  for  independence,  but 
this  delegation  was  fully  authorized,  though  not 
peremptorily  instructed. 

"  For  that  reason  the  moral  courage  of  a  vote  for 
independence  was  the  greater,  but  no  one  can  fail  to 
see  from  the  course  of  proceedings  in  the  Provin- 
cial Congress  that  that  body  had  a  thorough  con- 
viction that  independence  was  near,  and  that  it  was 
expected  that  the  delegates  would  vote  to  declare  it. 
Witherspoon,  Clark  and  Hart,  being  members  of 
the  Congress,  had  already  voted  to  extinguish  the 
government  of  the  Crown  and  to  establish  another 
for  the  colony. 

*^  Their  views  were  in  accord  with  those  of  the 
Congress,  as  were  also  those  of  the  other  two  dele- 


WITHERSPOON,  71 

gates,  Stockton  and  Hopkinson,  and  the  action  of 
all  in  the  Continental  Congress  could  only  be  the 
sequence  of  the  attitude  of  the  colony  they  repre- 
sented. Jonathan  Dickinson  Sergeant,  who  had 
been  a  delegate  to  Philadelphia,  but  who  returned 
to  New  Jersey  to  take  his  seat  in  the  Provincial 
Congress,  to  which  he  had  been  elected,  fully  appre- 
ciating the  condition  of  mind  of  that  body,  wrote 
to  John  Adams,  June  16,  1776,  before  the  election 
of  delegates,  as  follows:  ^  Jacta  est  alea.  We  are 
passing  the  Rubicon,  and  our  delegates  in  Congress 
on  the  first  of  July  will  vote  plump.^  On  that 
day  the  famous  resolution  for  independence  was  up 
for  final  consideration,  the  subject-matter  having 
been  frequently  discussed  before.  Final  action  was 
postponed  until  the  next  day.  In  the  mean  time, 
Witherspoon,  Stockton  and  Hopkinson  having  ex- 
pressed a  desire  to  hear  a  recapitulation  of  the 
arguments,  John  Adams,  as  he  says  in  his  auto- 
biography, ^summed  up  the  reasons,  objections  and< 
answers.'  Before  the  vote  AVitherspoon  made  a 
speech,  in  which  he  insisted  that  the  country  was 
not  only  ripe  for  independence,  but  was  in  danger 
of  becoming  rotten  for  the  want  of  it.  That  was 
not  a  very  classic  expression,  but  it  showed  his 
intensity  of  conviction  that  the  time  had  fully  come 
for  independence.  He,  with  the  rest  of  his  delega- 
tion, voted  for  the  immortal  resolve  of  July  2d  that 
*  these  united  colonies  are,  and  of  right  ought  to 
be,  free  and  independent  States,'  and  July  4,  1776, 


72  WITHERSPOON. 

alike  voted  for  the  adoption  of  the  Declaration  and 
afterward  signed  it. 

"  In  the  Life  of  Governor  Livingston,  by  Sedg- 
wick, the  author  in  a  note  states  that  the  New 
Jersey  delegation,  consisting  of  Witherspoon, 
Stockton  and  others,  arrived  after  the  Declaration 
had  been  signed,  but  Avere  allowed  to  affix  their 
names  to  it.  The  authority  given  for  this  is  a  let- 
ter from  Samuel  Adams  to  Richard  Henry  Lee, 
dated  July  15,  1776,  contained  in  the  memoirs  of 
the  latter,  in  which  appears  this  language:  ^We 
were  more  fortunate  than  we  expected  in  having 
twelve  of  the  thirteen  colonies  in  favor  of  the  all- 
important  question.  The  delegation  of  New  Jersey 
were  not  empowered  to  give  their  voice  on  either 
side.  Their  convention  has  since  acceded  to  the 
Declaration,  and  published  it  even  before  they  re- 
ceived it  from  Congress.'  This  is  a  mistake,  and 
it  undoubtedly  occurred  either  in  the  original  letter 
or  the  printing  of  it  by  inadvertently  inserting 
New  Jersey  for  New  York.  The  statement  was 
substantially  true  as  to  New  York.  In  Forces' 
Araerican  Archives  the  letter  is  now  published  with 
the  correction,  and  I  hope  that  hereafter  no  question 
will  ever  be  raised  that  the  New  Jersey  delegates 
were  fully  empowered,  and  were  present  hoih.  on  the 
second  and  fourth  days  of  July  and  gave  their  voice 
for  independence.     Such  is  the  truth  of  history. 

"  The  debates  of  those  stirring  times — when  life, 
fortune  and  sacred  honor  were  pledged  to  the  sup- 


WITHERSPOON,  78 

port  of  the  Declaration,  and  when  the  herculean 
task  was  undertaken  not  only  to  protect  the 
colonies,  but  to  maintain  their  freedom  from  the  i 
British  Crown — unfortunately  are  lost  to  the  world. 
All  of  the  debates  from  1774  to  1783  were  in 
secret,  and  mostly  extemporaneous  and  not  re- 
ported. Here  and  there  are  scattered  fragments  of 
wliat  was  said,  giving  us  some  idea  of  the  substance, 
but  the  speeches  themselves  are  lost,  with  only  slight 
exceptions,  which,  I  believe,  are  one  made  by  Dick- 
inson, of  Pennsylvania,  against  the  Declaration,  and 
some  by  Dr.  Witherspoon  on  other  subjects.  John 
Adams  well  asks  who  can  write  the  history  of  the 
American  Revolution.  The  questions  involved 
were  the  most  momentous  that  ever  affected  human 
rights  and  happiness,  and  to  have  lost  the  discus- 
sions upon  them  is  to  have  lost  much  of  the  fact 
and  soul  of  our  history.  Sufficient,  however,  ap- 
pears of  the  efforts  of  Dr.  Witherspoon  to  show  that 
he  ranked  with  the  ablest  statesmen  of  the  times. 

"  The  limits  of  this  address  will  not  permit 
a  review  of  his  special  services  in  Congress.  He 
was  a  member  for  six  years,  leaving  in  the  fall  of 
1782.  He  was  elected  six  several  times;  and  while 
there  were  frequent  changes  in  the  delegation,  he 
was  continuously  retained,  except  for  the  year  1780, 
when,  as  he  says  in  an  unfinished  letter  of  March 
20,  1780,  found  amongst  his  papers  and  written 
to  a  friend  in  Scotland,  he  left  Congress  as  ^not 
being  able  to  support  the  expense  of  attending  it, 


74  WITHERSPOON. 

-with  the  frequent  journeys  to  Princeton,  and  being 
determined  to  giv^e  particular  attention  to  the  revival 
of  the  college/ 

''  Professor  Houston,  of  the  college,  was  substi- 
tuted for  that  year,  but  in  November,  1780,  Dr. 
"Witherspoon  was  again  elected.  He  also  mentions, 
in  this  same  letter,  that  at  the  end  of  1778  he  gave 
notice  to  the  legislature  that  they  must  either  not 
choose  him  or  leave  him  at  full  liberty  to  attend 
only  when  he  could  conveniently,  and  that  he  made 
a  good  deal  of  use  of  that  liberty  in  1779.  In 
those  days  men  were  sought  for  office;  office  was 
then  practically,  as  in  true  theory,  for  the  good  of 
the  people,  and  w^ith  that  view  officers  were  selected. 
In  the  instructions  of  the  legislature  of  New  Jer- 
sey to  the  delegates  of  1777  is  an  injunction  which 
might  well  be  practiced  upon  in  these  times :  '  We 
desire  you  may  be  cautious  of  multiplying  offices, 
or  the  number  of  officers,  in  the  several  continental 
departments,  and  thereby  unnecessarily  increasing 
the  public  expense;  especially  you  will  use  your 
utmost  influence  that  the  departments  be  filled  with 
men  of  probity,  principle  and  discretion,  well 
qualified  in  point  of  capacity,  and  of  unsuspected 
attachment  to  the  liberties  of  America.'  Well 
would  it  be  if,  in  the  midst  of  existing  extravagance, 
waste  and  looseness  of  principle  in  public  office, 
we  could  return  to  the  virtues  of  the  men  who  laid 
the  foundations  of  our  republic.  The  stability  of  a 
nation  is   essentially  in  adhering  to  the  strictest 


WITHERSPOON.  75 

honesty  and  economy.  Dr.  Witherspoon  was  a 
thorough  exemplification  of  the  standard  of  those 
instructions.  Besides  being  admirably  qualified,  he 
was  noted  for  the  closest  attention  and  faithfulness 
to  public  duty.  His  firmness  in  the  Revolution  was 
like  a  rock.  In  the  letter  just  referred  to  he  says, 
^  Were  our  condition  ten  times  worse  than  it  is, 
nothing  short  of  the  clear  independence  of  this 
country  would  be  accepted.'  In  the  darkest  hours 
he  did  not  despair  of  success,  but  firmly  relying 
upon  the  justice  of  the  cause  he  had  espoused,  and 
the  favor  of  Heaven,  labored  with  patience,  and  in 
the  end  saw  his  hopes  realized.  John  Adams  men-  )> 
tions  him  in  1774  as  an  ^animated  Son  of  Liberty.'/ 

"  He  was  an  advocate  not  only  of  a  confedera- 
tion for  defence,  but  one  of  permanency  and  power. 
He  looked  for  the  establishment  of  a  nation,  and 
was  in  favor  of  a  stronger  union  than  that  secured 
by  the  articles  of  confederation,  particularly  as  to 
the  control  of  commerce  and  revenue.  He  pointed 
out  and  lived  to  see  many  of  the  weaknesses  of 
the  articles  of  confederation  realized. 

"  The  confederacy  was  little  more  than  a  league 
for  mutual  protection ;  and  when  the  Revolu- 
tion was  accomplished,  there  could  be  no  firm 
cohesion  of  the  States  without  an  organic  law  pro- 
viding for  the  departments  and  functions  of  an 
independent  national  government.  While  the  Revo- 
lution lasted  common  dangers  and  self-protection 
were  the  chief  bonds  of  union,  but  when  ended  and 


76  WITHERSPOON. 

successful  its  results  and  benefits  could  only  be 
preserved  by  a  complete  general  government. 
Witherspoon  understood  this  with  remarkable 
foresight.  He  considered  himself  as  laboring  for 
posterity,  and  saw  in  the  future  the  rise  and  growth 
of  a  power  in  this  Western  w^orld  that  would  secure 
liberty  and  happiness  to  the  people,  and  ultimately 
be  a  benefit  to  Great  Britain  itself.  Posterity  to- 
day gratefully  remembers  his  services.  He  signed 
the  Articles  of  Confederation  on  behalf  of  his  State, 
November  26,  1778,  as  authorized  by  the  legisla- 
ture, and  thus  helped  consummate  the  second  great 
act  which  led  to  and  culminated  in  our  present 
Constitution.  The  leading  events  which  gave  us  a 
permanent  national  existence  were  the  Declaration 
of  Independence,  the  Articles  of  Confederation  and 
the  Constitution.  In  the  first  two  Dr.  Witherspoon 
stood  side  by  side  with  the  ablest  and  the  best, 
without  a  superior. 

^^  His  congressional  career  was  always  prominent. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  secret  committee,  of  the 
board  of  war,  and  of  committees  on  foreign  af- 
fairs, finance  and  for  supplies  for  the  army,  and 
frequently  was  assigned  to  special  duties  requiring 
the  most  delicate  judgment,  management  and  the 
severest  attention.  In  November,  1776,  during  the 
darkest  period  of  the  Revolution,  when  our  army 
had  retreated  to  Jersey,  discouraged,  poorly  sup- 
plied and  enlistments  expiring,  Dr.  Witherspoon 
was  appointed  one  of  a  committee  of  three  to  re- 


WITHERSrOON.  77 

pair  to  General  AYasbington's  heaclqnarters  for  con - 
Bultation  and  to  render  assistance  in  recruiting  the 
regiments  whose  terms  had  expired  or  were  about 
to  expire,  and  also  to  *  inquire  into  and  redress  to 
the  utmost  of  their  power  the  just  grievances  of 
the  soldiers/  Soon  afterward^  when  the  country 
was  in  its  deepest  gloom,  Washington  having  re- 
treated through  Jersey,  pursued  by  the  enemy,  and 
crossed  the  Delaware,  and  Congress  being  in  dan- 
ger at  Philadelphia,  Dr.  Witherspoon,  Richard 
Henry  Lee  and  Samuel  Adams  were  appointed 
(December  9,  1776)  *to  prepare  an  address  to  the 
inhabitants  of  America  and  a  recommendation  to 
the  several  States  to  appoint  a  day  of  fasting,  hu- 
miliation and  prayer/  These  duties  were  performed 
the  two  following  days,  and  on  the  twelfth  Con- 
gress was  adjourned  to  meet  in  Baltimore,  it  having 
first  conferred  upon  General  Washington  full  power 
to  order  and  direct  all  things  relative  to  the  depart- 
ment and  to  the  operations  of  war. 

'^  Recapitulate  those  facts — the  appeal  to  the 
country,  resolutions  for  fasting,  humiliation  and 
prayer,  full  authority  in  Washington  to  direct  the 
war,  and  the  flight  of  Congress,  all  duties  and  neces- 
sities of  the  crisis,  filling  up  a  momentous  page  in 
history,  and  on  which,  in  brightness,  this  man  of 
God  and  trusted  patriot  appears,  encouraging  the 
people  in  the  midst  of  despondency,  inciting  to 
further  and  greater  efforts  for  their  rights,  and 
leading  them  to  look  on  high  for  succor. 


78  WITHERSPOON. 

"  Time  will  not  allow  me  to  speak  of  his  services 
ia  behalf  of  American  prisoners  in  British  hands, 
or  in  furnishing  supplies  to  the  army  and  correcting 
abuses  therein,  or  of  his  other  official  acts.  They 
are  faithfully  recorded  by  the  historian,  and  are 
familiar  to  the  reader.  On  finance  he  was  emi- 
nently clear,  and  many  of  his  ideas  are  of  value  to- 
day, though  not  practically  appreciated  when  utter- 
ed. His  official  life  covers  the  greater  part  of  the 
war,  and  is  inseparable  from  it  and  its  principles. 

^^  No  Christian  can  fail  to  see  that  he  was  prepared 
by  Providence  and  led  to  this  land  not  only  to  dis- 
seminate learning  and  religion,  but  to  maintain  and 
efficiently  assist  in  establishing  civil  liberty.  He 
lived  to  see  peace  declared,  independence  acknow- 
ledged, and  his  country,  with  a  government  symmet- 
rical and  strong,  take  its  ^  stand  among  the  nations 
of  the  earth. ^  He  saw  New  Jersey,  a  feeble  colony, 
become  a  sovereign  power.  He  saw  Princeton  Col- 
lege raised  to  a  height  unexampled  before,  and  af- 
ter its  dispersion  restored.  He  saw  the  Presbyte- 
rian Church  organized  on  a  national  basis,  so  to 
speak,  and  his  own  students  filling  its  highest  seats. 
These  events  were  the  consequences  of  labors  and 
influences  in  which  he  bore  a  conspicuous  part. 
Few  men  have  left  their  mark  so  indelibly  and 
prominently  upon  the  annals  of  their  times  as  he. 
In  him  were  wonderfully  combined  and  developed 
learning,  religion  and  statesmanship.  In  person 
he  was  tall,  dignified  and  impressive.     Dr.  Archi- 


WITHERSPOON.  79 

bald  Alexander  said  that  *  everything  about  him 
bore  the  marks  of  importance  and  authority/  yet 
at  the  same  time  he  was  as  plain  an  old  man  as 
he  ever  saw. 

"  To  do  good  was  the  aim  of  his  life,  and  in 
every  station.  His  sermons  always  evinced  the 
closest  thought  and  preparation,  and  are  models  for 
the  pulpit.  In  daily  converse  he  was  affable,  kind, 
cheerful,  and  sometimes  used  the  brightest  wit. 
His  religion  was  a  living  principle,  impelliiig  and 
consecrating  his  actions.  His  weaknesses  are  swal- 
lowed up  in  his  virtues,  and  his  memory  is  a  blessed 
treasure  for  us  all.  His  last  days  were  spent  in  the 
retirement  of  his  farm  at  Princeton,  interrupted 
only  by  occasional  services  in  the  pulpit  and  for 
the  college,  and  at  length,  worn  out  with  the  infirm- 
ities of  age,  full  of  years  and  of  honors,  was  he 
taken  to  God.  He  diecl  November  15,  1794,  and 
the  lapse  of  time  has  proved  the  worth  of  his  deeds 
and  fame.  These  the  Presbyterian  Church  justly 
commemorate,  and  present  the  man  and  his  life  to 
the  world  for  an  example  and  guide.'^ 

Loud  applause  greeted  the  oration  of  Governor 
Bedle. 

THE    PRESENTATION   OF   THE   STATUE  TO   THE 
FAIRMOUNT   PARK   COMMISSION. 

This  service  was  rendered  by  the  Hon.  J.  Ross 
Snowden,  LL.D.,  Chairman  of  the  General  Assem- 
bly's Centennia]  Committee.     Dr.  Snowden  said  ; 


80  WITHERSPOON. 

"  Gentlemen  of  the  Park  Commission  :  The 
duty  has  been  assigned  to  me  of  presenting  to  your 
Board  and  the  city  of  Philadelphia  the  statue  of 
"Witherspoon,  which  has  this  day  been  unveiled  to 
the  public  view. 

"  This  bronze  statue  is  the  work  of  Philadeljihia 
artists,  and  well  represents  the  noble  and  dignified 
form  and  countenance  of  the  eminent  patriot, 
scholar  and  divine  whose  effigy  we  now  present  as 
a  permanent  adornment  of  this  beautiful  and  ex- 
tensive park. 

"Called  from  Scotland,  his  native  land,  to  be 
placed  at  the  head  of  the  College  of  New  Jersey, 
Dr.  Witherspoon  advanced  the  interests  of  that 
institution  in  a  signal  manner,  and  until  the  war  of 
the  Revolution  closed  its  doors,  when  he  immedi- 
ately espoused  the  cause  of  his  adopted  country, 
and  thenceforth  stood  in  the  front  rank  of  American 
patriots  and  statesmen. 

"  The  statue  of  Witherspoon  holds  an  appropriate 
place  in  the  grand  park,  now  devoted  by  the  cere- 
monies and  exercises  of  this  Centennial  year  to  the 
freedom  and  independence  of  our  country,  because 
he  is  a  distinguished  representative  of  that  system 
of  doctrine  and  government  which  erects  the  school, 
the  academy,  the  college,  supports  the  principles  of 
civil  and  religious  liberty,  sustains  a  proper  rever- 
ence for  law  and  organized  authority,  insists  upon 
the  separation  of  the  Church  from  the  State,  and 
advocates  a  representative  system  of  government, 


WITHERSPOON.  81 

in  which  the  power  to  legislate  and  rule  is  derived 
from  the  consent  of  the  people. 

"  It  is  not  ray  province  on  this  occasion  to  speak 
at  large  upon  these  principles,  nor  upon  the  life, 
cliaracter  and  services  of  Dr.  "Witherspoon.  These 
duties  have  been  assigned  to  others.  It  only  re- 
mains for  me  now,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  cere- 
monies, to  transfer  the  statue  to  the  city  of  Phila- 
delphia and  to  the  care  of  your  honorable  Board 
of  Trustees  of  this  beautiful  Park,  with  its  various 
works  of  art  and  industry. 

"It  gives  us  pleasure  to  contribute  this  heroic 
Btatue  to  the  adornment  of  these  grounds,  which, 
under  the  intelligent  and  efficient  labors  of  your 
Board,  have  become  so  attractive  to  the  people  and 
so  promotive  of  their  education,  their  health  and 
their  happiness.^' 

ACCEPTANCE   OF   THE   STATUE. 

In  introducing  Mr.  John  Welsh,  the  President 
of  the  Fairmount  Park  Commission,  Dr.  Breed 
€aid : 

"  Dr.  Witherspoon  was  a  grandson  of  John  Welsh. 
That  John  Welsh  is  not  with  us  to-day.  Another 
John  Welsh,  however,  of  whom  Philadelphia  is 
justly  proud,  is  with  us,  who,  as  President  of  the 
Centennial  Board  of  Finance,  has  won  an  enviable 
name  by  his  indomitable  energy  and  his  signal 
ability.  The  other  John  Welsh  was  a  Presbyterian. 
This  John  Welsh  is  a  member  of  the  Church  to 


82  WITHEBSPOON. 

which  George  "Washington,  the  Father  of  his  Coun- 
try, belonged.  Mr.  Welsh  is  here  to  accept  a  mon- 
ument at  our  hands;  but  if  you  would  see  Mr. 
Welsh's  monument,  look  around  you.'' 

Mr.  Welsh  came  forward  amidst  warm  applause, 
and  in  reply  to  the  allusion  of  Dr.  Breed  to  John 
Welsh,  the  son-in-law  of  John  Knox,  remarked 
that  he,  the  speaker,  might  be  more  nearly  related 
to  the  grandfather  of  John  Witherspoon  than  was 
supposed,  since  it  was  the  unvarying  tradition  of 
his  ancestors — though  the  family  records  had  not 
been  so  carefully  preserved  as  was  desirable — that 
his  descent  was  direct  from  the  John  Welsh  who 
married  the  daughter  of  John  Knox.  Mr.  Welsh 
then  in  a  brief  but  graceful  and  appreciative  address 
accepted  the  statue  on  behalf  of  the  Fairmount 
Park  Commission. 

THANKS   TO  THE   PARK   COMMISSION 

were  then  extended,  in  behalf  of  the  General 
Assembly's  Centennial  Committee,  by  the  Rev. 
George  Hale,  D.  D.,  treasurer  of  the  committee. 
In  introducing  Dr.  Hale  the  chairman  said  :  "  We 
have  now  set  up  the  form  of  one  of  the  signers  of 
that  immortal  instrument  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence ;  we  trust  that  the  Park  Commission  will 
secure  the  erection  of  statues  to  the  other  fifty-four 
along  this  beautiful  avenue,  and  change  its  name 
from  the  Lansdowne  Drive  to  *  The  Avenue  of  the 
Declaration,' 


WITHERSPOON.  83 

Dr.  Hale  then  addressed  the  assembly  as  follows : 

"  Mr.  President  and  Gentlemen  of  the 
Park  Commission  :  AVhen  we  turn  our  eyes  to 
tills  statue,  now  firmly  settled  on  its  base  near  that 
permanent  structure,  Memorial  Hall,  and  having 
I'or  its  outlook  this  picturesque  valley  of  the 
Schuylkill,  and  within  sight  of  this  beautiful  Lans- 
downe  road — along  which  thousands  are  passing 
every  week,  to  be  on  this  ground  educated  as  it 
were  by  the  patriot,  statesman,  scholar  and  Chris- 
tian— we  are  deeply  sensible  of  the  debt  of  grati- 
tude we  have  incurred.  This  is  the  spot,  this  is  the 
occasion,  this  the  assemblage,  for  a  deserved  public 
acknowledgment  to  you. 

"  When  application  for  a  site  was  first  made  to 
your  honorable  body,  it  received  prompt  attention 
— it  was  carefully  and  intelligently  considered. 
With  a  large  liberality  worthy  of  the  highest 
praise,  you  permitted  us  to  select  within  this  Park 
any  place  not  already  preoccupied  ;  and  when  our 
choice  was  made  and  communicated  to  you,  that 
choice  was  confirmed  by  your  action. 

"  In  the  name  of  the  Centennial  Committee  of 
the  General  Assembly,  in  the  name  of  our  whole 
Presbyterian  Church,  with  her  five  thousand  minis- 
ters and  five  hundred  thousand  communicants,  in 
the  name  of  the  numerous  other  branches  of  the 
Presbyterian  family  in  this  and  foreign  lands,  in 
the  name  of  every  true  patriot  within  this  republic 
and  of  every  friend  of  civil  and  religious  liberty 


84  WITHERSPOON. 

throughout  the  world, — we  tender  to  you  our  sincere 
and  most  hearty  thanks." 

DOXOLOGY. 

In  announcing  the  doxology  the  Rev.  Alfred 
Kevin,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  said  : 

"  That  noble  statue  is  itself  a  doxology.  It  is  a 
precious  and  permanent  expression  of  praise  to 
almighty  God  for  the  life  and  services  of  the  dis- 
tinguished man  in  whose  honor  it  has  been  erected. 
There  it  w^ill  stand  through  winter's  storms,  in 
the  balmy  breeze  of  spring,  under  summer  sun- 
shine and  amid  the  fadings  of  autumnal  foliage 
and  the  wailings  of  autumnal  winds,  calm,  solid 
and  firm,  a  fitting  embodiment  of  the  gratitude 
from  which  it  sprang.  It  will  teach  the  millions 
who  shall  gaze  upon  it  the  great  lesson  that  intel- 
lectual greatness  and  moral  excellence  are  at  least 
as  worthy  of  public  recognition  as  military  glory. 
There  are  few  occasions  on  which  the  call  for  dox- 
ology is  more  distinct  and  emphatic.  Here,  at 
this  Centennial  celebration,  in  this  magnificent 
park,  where  the  wonders  of  science  and  art  seem 
now  to  vie  with  the  grandeur  and  glory  of  nature, 
where  so  many  men  distinguished  for  their  learn- 
ing, patriotism  and  moral  worth  are  assembled, 
and  so  many  lovely  women  grace  with  their  pres- 
ence the  consummation  of  an  enterprise  which 
they  aided  with  their  efficient  efforts,  and  last,  but 
not  least,  where  we  have  eminent  representatives 


WITIIERSPOON.  85 

from  North,  South,  East  and  AYost  who  have 
favored  us  with  their  eloquence  and  practically 
indicated  how  admiration  of  and  devotion  to  great 
central  and  controlling  principles  harmonize  all 
sectional  feelings, — /iere,  with  all  these  pleasant 
surroundings,  and  the  bright  prospects  which  open 
to  our  vision,  we  cannot  but  unite  in  singing  with 
a  cordiality  which  Heaven  will  accept  those  mem- 
orable words  which  have  so  often  been  the  vehicle 
of  gratitude  to  the  Giver  of  all : 

'Praise  God,  from  whom  all  blessings  flow; 
Praise  him,  all  creatures  here  below  ; 
Praise  him  above,  ye  heavenly  host; 
Praise  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost.' " 

After  the  singing  of  the  doxology  the  benedic- 
tion was  pronounced  by  the  Rev.  James  McCosh, 
D.  D.,  LL.D.,  President  of  the  College  of  New  Jer- 
sey. In  1768,  Dr.  Witherspoon  entered  upon  his 
duties  as  President  of  this  college,  and  in  1868  Dr. 
McCosh  became  his  worthy  successor. 

After  the  benediction,  and  in  response  to  loud 
calls  from  the  crowd,  Dr.  McCosh  made  a  brief  but 
animated  and  eloquent  address,  which  was  loudly 
applauded. 

Dr.  Stuart  Robinson,  of  Kentucky,  being  recog- 
nized on  the  platform,  was  also  called  out,  and  made 
a  brief  but  telling  speech,  after  which  the  crowd 
slowly  dispersed,  looking  back  often  as  they  went 
away  at  the  magnificent  figure  that  for  many  a  score 


S6  WITHERSPOON. 

of  years  to  come  will  attract  the  attention  and 
ev^oke  the  admiration  of  the  millions  who  will  pass 
in  their  carriage  and  on  foot  along  that  beautiful 
Lansdowne  drive. 

DISCOURSE   OF   DR.    PLUMEE, 

The  whole  enterprise  received  a  most  fitting 
climax  in  the  services  of  Sabbath  evening,  the  22d 
of  October,  when,  in  the  AYest  Spruce  Street  Pres- 
byterian church,  the  Rev.  W.  S.  Plumer,  D.  D., 
LL.D.,  of  Columbia,  S.  C,  delivered,  by  request 
of  the  Centennial  Committee  of  the  General  Assem- 
bly, in  the  presence  of  a  large  and  intelligent  con- 
gregation, the  following  eloquent  discourse  upon  the 
life  and  writings  of  Dr.  Witherspoon. 

JOHX  WITHERSPOOX,  D.  D.,  LL.D.,  HIS  LIFE,  TIMES, 
W^RITINGS  AND  SERVICES. 

"  Most  men  live  and  die  unknown  beyond  a  nar- 
row circle.  Their  memory  soon  fades  from  earth ; 
but  if  in  this  life  they  walked  with  God,  their  rec- 
ord is  on  high,  and  in  the  best  sense  they  shall  be 
held  in  everlasting  remembrance. 

*^  A  smaller  portion  of  mankind  are  of  low  and 
vicious  tastes  and  habits.  They  are  the  tenants  of 
the  abodes  of  infamy  and  wretchedness.  They  are 
led  on  till  they  fall  into  the  worst  vices  and  crimes. 
For  fame  they  have  infamy.  They  have  notoriety, 
but  it  is  with  disgrace.  Their  names  rot.  They 
are  covered  with  ignominy.  -.-.>>. 


WITHERSPOON.  87 

"A  still  smaller  part  of  the  human  family  rise 
high  in  personal  worth  and  accomplishments,  in 
usefulness  and  honor.  They  are  by  Providence  fa- 
vored with  good  opportunities,  and  they  embrace 
them.  Their  names  are  enrolled  among  the  good, 
the  wise  and  the  great. 

"  Such  men  are  helpful  to  each  other.  Like  the 
stars,  they  are  often  seen  in  constellations.  The  ex- 
ample of  one  draws  many.  This  remark  is  illus- 
trated through  the  eighteenth  century.  It  was  ush- 
ered in  by  bright  lights,  though  some  of  them  were 
great  blessings,  while  others  were  not.  Literature 
then  greatly  revived.  In  many  places  a  marvelous 
S2:>irit  prevailed.  Both  truth  and  error,  both  virtue 
and  vice,  had  giants  for  their  defence.  Addison, 
born  1672,  Pope,  born  1688,  and  their  friends  and 
contemporaries,  mightily  stirred  the  British  mind 
in  the  early  part  of  the  last  century.  At  the  same 
time,  Voltaire,  born  1694,  Rousseau  and  Diderot, 
both  born  1712,  and  their  allies,  were  preparing  to 
shake  continental  Europe.  On  the  other  hand, 
Turgot  in  France,  born  1727,  and  Necker  in  Switz- 
erland, born  1732,  gave  to  the  world  new  and 
wondrous  views  and  thoughts  on  finance  and  the 
best  modes  of  making  a  nation  great.  Still  later 
Mirabeau,  born  1749,  and  Napoleon  Bonaparte, 
born  1769,  were  rising  up  to  move  the  world,  one 
"with  his  eloquence,  the  other  with  his  military 
genius.  If  we  return  \o  England,  we  see  Johnson, 
born  1709,  earl^  giving  token  that  a  man  of  pro* 


88  WITHEBSPOON. 

digious  powers  had  come  into  the  world.  Lord 
Chatham,  born  1708,  Edmund  Barke,  born  1718, 
Charles  James  Fox,  born  1749,  William  Pitt,  born 
1759,  and  several  of  their  contemporaries,  would 
have  made  great  any  age  or  country.  Nor  was  dis- 
tinction confined  to  the  Old  World.  The  British 
colonies  shared  largely  in  like  honors.  In  1706 
was  born  Benjamin  Franklin ;  in  1732,  George 
Washington;  in  1735,  John  Adams;  in  1743, 
Thomas  Jefferson;  in  1750,  James  Madison;  in 
1755,  John  Marshall;  in  1757,  Alexander  Hamil- 
ton; and  in  1758,  James. Monroe — ^all  of  them  il- 
lustrious and  some  of  them  peerless. 

"  The  same  century  and  people  were  remarkable 
for  many  fine  specimens  of  eloquence.  George 
AVhitefield,  born  in  1714,  Samuel  Da  vies,  born 
1724,  James  Waddel,  born  (in  Ireland)  1739,  Pat- 
rick Henry,  born  1736,  and  Lord  Erskine,  born 
1750,  wielded  a  power  that  would  have  been  felt 
in  any  age.  These  estimates  are  not  extravagant. 
When  Patrick  Henry  heard  Waddel  preach  on  the 
creation,  he  said,  *When  I  was  listening  to  that 
man,  it  seemed  to  me  that  he  could  have  made  a 
world.'  Of  Henry's  eloquence,  Jefferson  said  it 
was  '  bold,  grand  and  overwhelming.  .  .  .  He  gave 
examples  of  eloquence  such  as  had  probably  never 
been  excelled.'  Of  Franklin,  Turgot  said,  'JE'ri- 
puit  coslo  fulnien,  sceptrumque  tyrannis.'  Lord 
Chatham  spoke  of  Franklin  as  *  one  whom  all  Eu- 
rope held  in  high  estimation  for  his  knowledge  and 


WITRERSPOON.  89 

wisdom,  and  ranked  with  our  Boyles  and  Ncwtons — 
who  was  an  honor  not  only  to  the  English  nation, 
but  to  human  nature.' 

"  And  what  shall  be  said  of  Washington  ?  The 
strength  of  his  character  is  found  in  its  symmetry, 
propriety  and  high  moral  principles.  He  felt  ex- 
quisitely, but  his  passions  never  dictated  a  single 
measure  of  his  life.  Jefferson's  testimony  is  clear 
and  has  been  accej^ted  by  mankind.  Of  Washing- 
ton he  says,  ^  His  integrity  was  the  most  pure,  his 
justice  the  most  inflexible,  I  have  ever  known,  no 
motives  of  interest  or  consanguinity,  of  friendship 
or  hatred,  being  able  to  bias  his  decision.'  Lord 
Brougham  says,  'It  will  be  the  duty  of  the  his- 
torian and  the  sage,  in  all  ages,  to  omit  no  occasion 
of  commemorating  this  illustrious  man,  and  until 
time  shall  be  no  more  \vill  a  test  of  the  progress 
which  our  race  has  made  in  wisdom  and  virtue  be 
derived  from  the  veneration  paid  to  the  immortal 
name  of  Washington.' 

"  In  such  times,  and  with  such  contemporaries,  ,' 
there  was  born  in  Haddingtonshire,  Scotland,  } 
February  5,  1722,  John  Witherspoon,  the  son  of  \ 
a  pious,  faithful,  scholarly  minister  of  the  gospel,  I 
and  a  lineal  descendant  of  John  Knox  of  blessed  j 
memory. 

"  At  an  early  age  he  was  sent  to  school  at  Had- 
dington. Here  his  good  habits,  quick  conception 
and  rapid  progress  gave  assurance  that  one  day  he 
should  fill  a  large   space  in  the  eye  of  mankind. 


90  WtTHERSPOON. 

From  fourteen  to  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  at- 
tended the  University  of  Edinburgh.  In  each  class 
he  was  respectable ;  in  the  divinity  class  he  dis- 
played much  soundness  of  criticism  and  remark- 
able precision  of  thought. 

^^  Leaving  the  university,  he  was  invited  to  be 
the  assistant  and  successor  of  his  honored  father, 
but  he  preferred  to  go  to  the  West  of  Scotland,  and 
was  pleasantly  settled  in  the  parish  of  Beith.  Ere 
long  he  was  called  to  the  town  of  Paisley.  Here 
both  his  usefulness  and  his  reputation  rapidly  in- 
creased. His  fame  went  abroad,  and  he  was  soon 
invited  to  Rotterdam  in  the  Low  Countries,  to  Dub- 
lin in  Ireland,  and  to  Dundee  in  Scotland.  All 
these  proposals  he  declined.  He  was  soon  after 
chosen  President  of  the  College  of  New  Jersey,  at 
Princeton.  At  first  he  declined,  but  on  a  renewal 
of  the  invitation  he  accepted,  and  reached  America 
in  August,  1768,  in  the  forty-seventh  year  of  his 
age.  His  predecessors  in  office  were  eminent  min- 
isters of  the  gospel — elonathan  Dickinson,  Aaron 
Burr,  Jonathan  Edwards,  Samuel  Davies  and 
Samuel  Findley,  all  names  that  cannot  be  men- 
tioned without  profound  respect. 

^^In  the  old  country  Dr.  Witherspoon  had  es- 
tablished a  high  reputation.  This  followed  him 
to  America,  and  gave  him  great  advantage  in  his 
labors  for  the  college,  in  promotion  of  whose 
interests  he  went  South  as  far  as  Virginia  and 
North  as  far  as  Massachusetts,     His  scholarship 


WITHERSPOON.  91 

was  sound  and  varied.  His  administrative  talents 
were  uncommon.  His  whole  bearing  was  well 
suited  to  inspire  confidence  and  esteem  from  all 
classes. 

"But  the  troublous  times  of  the  American  Rev- 
olution were  approaching.  Conflict  with  the 
mother-country  was  imminent.  Soon  the  world 
beheld  an  amazing  spectacle — thirteen  colonies 
with  a  thousand  miles  of  unprotected  coast,  and 
containing  less  than  three  millions  of  souls,  arrayed 
in  war  against  the  tremendous  power  of  the  British 
empire.  For  a  season  the  college  was  closed,  and 
in  1776,  Dr.  Witherspoon,  at  the  age  of  fifty-four, 
took  his  seat  in  the  Continental  Congress,  and  with 
his  compatriots  signed  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence. For  seven  years  he  held  this  post.  His 
exact  knowledge  of  parliamentary  usages,  his  native 
wit,  his  ready  apprehension,  his  moral  heroism  and 
his  profound  acquaintance  with  human  nature  and 
constitutional  law  commanded  universal  respect. 
His  courage  was  indomitable.  No  sad  reverses  or 
disasters,  no  timidity  or  faithlessness  in  others,  could 
damp  his  ardor  or  blench  his  purpose.  As  an 
adviser  he  had  few  equals.  On  public  affairs 
time  showed  his  counsels  to  be  excellent.  On  ques- 
tions of  the  commissariat,  finance  and  the  public 
credit,  on  the  proper  conduct  of  the  war  and  like 
matters,  his  judgment  was  outspoken,  unfaltering 
and  very  safe. 

*'  When  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  was 


92  WITHERSPOON. 

framed,  Br.  Witherspoon's  wisdom  bore  an  honor- 
able part.  But  at  no  time  did  he  pretermit  the 
character  or  duties  of  a  minister  of  God's  word, 
preaching  whenever  he  had  opportunity. 

"  The  war  being  closed  and  the  form  of  govern- 
ment settled,  Dr.  Witherspoon  bent  his  energies  to 
the  reviving  of  the  college — no  easy  task  in  those 
days  of  w  ant  and  poverty.  The  heraldry  of  col- 
leges is  registered  and  read  only  in  their  Alumni. 
A  few  of  these — Madison  among  the  number — 
were  coming  prominently  into  notice.  But  one 
s^vallow  does  not  make  a  summer,  and  a  few  stu- 
dents cannot  give  a  college  renown.  Dr.  \yither- 
spoon  was  also  a  laborious  preacher  of  the  gospel. 
For  these  things  he  laid  aside  almost  all  other 
pursuits. 

"  Having  reached  the  age  of  seventy,  he  found 
his  bodily  infirmities  much  increased.  More  than 
two  years  before  his  death  he  was  blind  and  other- 
wise a  sufferer.  But  his  patience,  fortitude  and 
cheerfulness  never  forsook  him.  Pain  and  weak- 
ness could  not  extinguish  his  ardor.  He  w^orked 
on  to  the  very  last.  It  was  an  affecting  sight  when 
this  venerable  man  was  led  into  the  pulpit,  and 
there  lifted  to  heaven  his  sightless  eyeballs  in 
fervent  addresses  to  the  throne  of  grace  in  behalf 
of  sinful  men,  and  poured  out  his  heart  in  solemn 
appeals  to  his  dying  fellow-men  in  behalf  of  the 
claims  of  God.  Through  life  he  preached  from 
memory.     One  or  two  readings  of  his  written  dis- 


WITIIERSPOON.  93 

courses,  even  by  anotlior  person,  pnt  him  in  full 
possession  of  the  contents  of  his  niiuuiscript.  He 
enjoyed  the  iiill  exercise  of  his  mental  i)Owers  to 
tlie  day  of  his  death.  lie  departed  this  life 
November  15,  1794,  in  the  seventy-third  year  of 
liis  age. 

"  The  writings  of  Dr.  Witherspoon  are  very 
various,  both  in  sul)ject  and  in  style. 

"  1.  His  theological  writings  consist  of  sermons, 
essays  and  lectures.  Tliere  are  forty-seven  sermons 
in  which  are  discussed  nearly  all  the  leading  or 
vital  truths  of  Christianity,  with  many  kindred 
matters.  Then  we  have  his  essay  on  justification, 
covering  forty-eight  pages,  and  his  practical  treatise 
on  regeneration,  covering  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
three  pages.  Then  we  have  his  seventeen  lectures 
on  divinity.  These  are  quite  short,  averaging  less 
than  seven  pages  each.  Then  we  have  his  inquiry 
into  the  Scripture-meaning  of  charity.  Of  all 
these  writings  no  one  piece  is  so  full  and  complete 
as  that  on  regeneration.  That  on  justification  is 
next  in  order.  But  if  one  will  allow  for  their 
length,  several  of  the  sermons  are  as  worthy  of 
attention  as  any  of  his  works.  All  his  theological 
writings  are  remarkable  for  perspicuity,  soundness, 
earnestness,  a  just  moderation  and  practicalness. 
It  is  risking  nothing  to  say  that  they  have  had  a 
very  powerful  influence  in  moulding  and  establish- 
ing the  views  of  large  numbers  of  theologians  in 
all  countries  where  the  English  language  is  spoken. 


94  WITHERSPOON. 

This  remark  is  especially  true  of  Ireland,  Scotland 
and  Xorth  America.  It  would  be  a  great  contribu- 
tion to  our  popular  theological  literature  if  this 
land  could  be  well  supplied  with  Witherspoon  on 
regeneration.  Will  not  some  one  furnish  means 
to  do  it? 

*^  2.  Dr.  Witherspoon's  writings  on  moral  matters 
must  not  be  passed  without  notice.  Of  these  the 
most  prominent  and  important  are  a  serious  inquiry 
into  the  nature  and  effects  of  the  stage,  lectures  on 
moral  philosophy  and  letters  on  marriage.  In  all 
these  are  found  much  close  thinking,  an  excellent 
judgment  and  sound  speech  that  cannot  be  con- 
demnerl.  The  jiiece  on  the  stage  was  occasioned  by 
the  production  of  the  play  called  ^Douglas,'  writ- 
ten by  a  minister  of  the  Church  of  Scotland.  Dr. 
Witherspoon's  views  on  this  subject  are  both  calm 
and  spirited.  The  essay  is  easily  understood;  it 
shows  sufficient  learning;  it  is  fair  and  cogent. 
The  lectures  on  moral  philosophy  are  the  most 
unfinished  of  all  Dr.  Witherspoon's  works.  He 
wholly  refused  to  publish  them  himself,  but  after 
his  death  his  students  loudly  called  for  them.  In 
them  are  many  good  things,  but  their  appearance 
has  not  increased  their  author's  reputation.  It  is 
very  doubtful,  as  a  question  of  morality,  whether 
it  is  ever  right  to  give  to  the  world  writings  whose 
author  was  known  to  be  averse  to  their  publication. 
And  every  production  is  the  worse  for  not  receiv- 
ing the  final  revision  of  the  author  for  the  press. 


WITHERSPOON.  95 

"3.  Then  we  have  Dr.  WItherspoon's  views  on 
many  matters  respecting  public  affairs  and  tlie  po- 
litical questions  of  his  times.  These  are  all  worthy 
of  perusal.  Those  who  control  the  financial  affairs 
of  this  country  might  be  both  startled  and  profited 
by  a  careful  examination  of  Dr.  Witherspoon's 
essay  on  money.  He  was  an  independent  thinker, 
and  freely  gave  his  views  on  most  of  the  questions 
which  arrested  the  attention  of  Americans  during 
their  great  struggle  for  independence.  Some  of  his 
essays  for  the  periodical  press,  no  less  than  some  of 
his  speeches  in  Congress,  are  well  adapted  to  make 
the  thoughtful  think. 

"  4.  Then  we  have  Dr.  Witherspoon's  humorous 
productions.  Some  of  these  are  still  read  with 
avidity.  They  are  so  racy  and  so  spirited  that  one 
can  hardly  find  anything  better  suited  to  sharpen 
his  wits.  The  most  keen,  pungent  and  highly  fin- 
ished of  these  productions  bears  the  title  of  Eecle\ 
siastical  Characteristics.  The  irony  is  very  cutting, 
the  sarcasm  is  very  biting,  and  the  ridicule  is  over- 
whelming. In  the  eighteenth  century  very  few 
things  so  stirred  Scotland  as  these  caustic  produc- 
tions. The  celebrated  Bishop  Warburton  men- 
tioned them  '  with  particular  approbation,  and  ex- 
pressed his  Avish  that  the  Church  of  England  had 
such  a  corrector.^  The  history  of  a  corporation 
of  servants  has  in  it  a  rich  vein  of  pure  wit  hardly 
less  amusing  and  perhaps  more  instructive  than 
"Gulliver's  Travels,^'  by  Swift.     The  recantation 


96  WITHERSPOON. 

of  Benjamin  Towne  is  another  production  of  the 
same  class. 

"  Dr.  Witherspoon's  wit  was  very  uncommon.  He 
was  always  ready.  Whilst  crossing  the  ocean  the 
ship  in  which  he  sailed  was  overtaken  by  a  violent 
storm.  Officers,  crew  and  passengers  supposed 
their  end  had  come.  An  old  sailor,  whom  Dr. 
Witherspoon  had  often  and  severely  reproved  for 
his  shocking  profaneness,  during  the  storm  came  to 
the  man  of  God  and  began  to  talk  piously.  At 
length  he  said,  *  If  we  never  see  land,  I  hope  we 
are  all  going  to  the  same  place.'  Instantly  Dr. 
Witherspoon  replied,  ^  I  hope  we  are  not.' 

"On  occasion  of  meeting  a  celebrated  wit,  Dr. 
Witherspoon  accidentally  struck  his  head  against  a 
tall  mantel-piece,  when  he  said,  '  My  head  rings.' 
'It  rings,  does  it?'  said  the  other.  ^Yes,'  said 
Witherspoon.  '  That  is  because  it  is  empty,'  said 
the  wit.  Dr.  Witherspoon  said,  '  Does  not  yours 
ring  when  it  is  struck  ?'  The  answer  was,  '  No.' 
'That,'  said  Witherspoon,  'is  because  it  is 
cracked.' 

"In  a  foot-note  to  his  essay  on  justification  Dr. 
Witherspoon  has  in  a  few  words  fully  disposed  of 
Hume's  theory  of  virtue.  True,  that  subtle  and 
elegant  writer  had  laid  himself  very  liable  to  con- 
tempt by  putting  wit,  genius,  health,  cleanliness, 
taper  legs  and  broad  shoulders  among  the  virtues. 
Such  men  deserve  the  scorn  of  serious  and  good 
thinkers. 


WITHERSPOOK  97 

"  Dr.  "Witherspoou  must  have  had  great  power  as 
a  teacher  over  his  pupils.  His  influence,  felt  once, 
was  felt  for  life.  Perhaps  this  continent  has  pro- 
duced no  man  more  able  in  debate  than  the  late 
William  B.  Giles,  once  governor  of  Virginia.  He 
graduated  at  Princeton  in  the  class  of  1781.  Forty- 
six  years  after  this  he  thus  spoke  in  the  legislature 
of  Virginia: 

"  ^  It  happened  to  be  my  fortune  in  early  life  to 
be  placed  under  the  care  of  the  late  celebrated  Dr. 
Witherspoon,  of  Princeton  College.     The  doctor, 
although  highly  learned,  was  as  much  celebrated 
for  the  simplicity  and  elegance  of  his  style  and  for 
the  brevity  of  his  orations  as  for  the  extent  and 
solidity  of  his  erudition.     He  lectured  the  class  of 
which  I  was  a  member  upon  eloquence  and  crit- 
icism, and  I  was  always  delighted  with  the  exer- 
cises in  that  branch  of  science.     Amidst  all  the  re- 
finement of  the  doctor^s  learning  he  retained  much 
of  the  provincial  brogue  of  his  native  town.     He  I 
generally  approached   his   class  with  great  famil-    ; 
iarity  with,  "How  do  ye  do,  lads?"     To  which  ;  \ 
the  reply  was,   "Braly,   sir;   braly."      He  com-       * 
menced  his  lecture  in  the  simple  style  of  conver- 
sation : 

"  * "  Lads,  if  it  should  fall  to  the  lot  of  any  of  ye, 
as  it  may  do,  to  appear  upon  the  theatre  of  public 
life,  let  me  impress  upon  your  minds  two  rules  of 
oratory  that  are  never  to  be  departed  from  upon 
any  occasion  whatever:  Ne'er  do  ye  speak'  unless 
7  .V 


98  WITHERSPOON. 

ye  ha'  something  to  say;  and  when  ye  are  done,  be 
sure  to  leave  off/' ' 

"  If  any  pronounce  these  rules  to  be  insufferably 
irksome,  let  him  find  better.  The  want  of  adhe- 
rence to  them  is  the  secret  of  many  failures  in  our 
day. 

"  Most  of  Dr.  Witherspoon's  writings  fall  under 
some  one  of  the  foregoing  classes,  but  some  of  them 
are  so  peculiar  as  not  to  be  easily  classified.  On 
these  time  forbids  us  to  dwell. 

"One  thing  remarkable  in  most  of  his  writings 
is  their  freshness.  They  never  grow  stale.  One 
might  instance  those  fine  discourses  on  *  The  trial 
of  religious  truth  by  its  moral  influence,'  or  ^  The 
charge  of  sedition  and  faction  against  good  men, 
specially  faithful  ministers,  considered  and  account- 
ed for,'  or  on  ^  The  nature  and  extent  of  visible  re- 
ligion.' 

"  Of  course  the  services  of  Dr.  Witherspoon  were 
great.  As  an  educator,  as  a  patriot,  as  a  writer, 
as  a  safe  and  profound  thinker  on  topics  of  public 
interest,  and,  above  all,  as  a  theologian  and  preacher, 
he  did  great  things  for  the  age  and  the  world  in 
which  he  lived.  Perhaps  his  influence  was  never 
greater  than  at  present.  Through  him  many  are 
what  they  are  without  knowing  that  by  his  means 
they  have  been  brought  to  their  present  line  of 
thought  and  action.  He  moulded  the  minds  of 
those  who  swayed  thousands.  It  seems  highly 
probable  that  soon  a  new  and  complete  edition  of 


WITHERSPOON.  9f 

his  works  will  be  called  for,  and  will  be  read  with 
profit  and  avidity.  A  man  of  any  force  of  mind, 
if  familiar  with  Dr.  Witherspoon's  writings,  could 
easily  consign  to  merited  disgrace  not  a  few  of  the 
foolish  notions  now  more  or  less  popular  with  the 
masses  and  with  the  demagogues  of  the  country. 

"Those  who  revere  his  memory,  therefore,  do 
well  and  wisely  in  erecting  a  public  monument 
which  shall  tell  to  the  coming  generations  that  if 
they  lack  a  model  to  form  them  to  virtue  and  re- 
nown they  may  study  the  life,  examine  the  writ- 
ings and  copy  the  example  of  John  Witherspoon. 

*^  In  view  of  the  past,  the  present  and  the  future, 
we  Americans  are  bound  to  think  of  all  the  way 
the  Lord  our  God  has  led  us  as  a  people,  and  learn 
to  trust  the  Most  High  in  the  darkest  hour. 

"Savage  and  barbarous  people  often  speak  of 
their  ancestors,  but  civilized  nations  are  mightily 
swayed  by  the  memory  of  their  forefathers.  When 
their  deeds  have  been  heroic  and  virtuous,  a  just 
regard  to  them  greatly  conduces  to  the  public  good. 
When  men  are  both  great  and  good,  their  power 
ought  to  be  immense.  Men  seldom  have  wise 
regard  to  their  posterity  unless  they  can  look  back 
with  admiration  on  at  least  some  of  those  from 
Vihom  they  claim  descent.  In  the  example  of  many 
of  the  contemporaries  of  Dr.  Witherspoon  we  see 
much  that  was  wise,  patient  and  valiant.  Let  us 
honor  by  imitating  their  virtues.  They  have  left 
us  a  rich  inheritance.     They  braved  great  perils, 


100  WITHERSPOON. 

they  bore  great  hardships,  they  practiced  severe  in- 
dustry, they  subdued  the  soil  to  the  ploughshare, 
they  reared  a  lasting  monument  to  their  good  name 
in  the  institutions  they  left  us.  Let  us,  like  them, 
be  just  to  all  men,  and  let  us  fear  none  but  the 
Father  of  nations  and  of  men. 

"  Our  ancestors  were  an  ingenious  people.  From 
their  day  to  the  present  we  have  had  a  race  of  re- 
markable inventors.  Let  us  encourage  all  useful 
arts  and  contrivances. 

"  Our  fathers  put  a  high  estimate  on  mental  cul- 
ture. In  the  seventeenth  century  they  founded 
Harvard  College,  in  Massachusetts,  and  William 
and  Mary  College,  in  Virginia.  In  the  eighteenth 
century  they  established  about  fifty  colleges  and 
universities.  In  the  nineteenth  century,  we  have 
colleges  by  the  hundred,  and  most  of  them  well 
deserve  the  name.  Let  us  largely  endow  and 
sacredly  guard  these  noble  seats  of  learning. 

"  The  growth  of  our  country  has  been  marked. 
In  1790  the  whole  population  of  the  United  States 
was  but  3,927,214  souls.  Now  some  of  our  single 
States  have  more.  If  such  things  engender  pride, 
they  will  work  our  ruin.  But  if  they  make  us 
thoughful  and  prudent,  they  will  do  us  good. 

"Let  us  not  be  vain  and  frivolous,  selfish  and 
profane.  How  Washington  reproved  profaneness! 
How  Samuel  Adams  and  Benjamin  Franklin 
pleaded  for  the  worship  of  God  in  our  national  coun- 
cils !     Let  us  not  foolishly  despise  such  examples. 


WITHERSPOON.  101 

"  Nor  let  us  forget  that  our  principles  and  con- 
duct will  mightily  affect  those  who  shall  come  after 
us.  The  next  hundred  years  will  probably  confirm 
and  establish  or  shake  and  shatter  our  best  institu- 
tions. What  w^e  and  our  immediate  descendants 
shall  do  will  tell  for  ages  to  come.  Not  a  social, 
civil  or  moral  cause  has  for  centuries  past  affected 
any  nation  whose  people  now  mingle  with  ours 
which  cause  is  not  this  day  potential  for  good  or 
evil  in  our  own  land.  Such  causes  do  not  com- 
monly work  rapidly,  but  they  work  surely.  Their 
results  are  inevitable. 

"When  He  who  made  and  governs  the  world 
has  ends  to  accomplish,  he  can  be  at  no  loss  for  fit 
instruments.  Divine  prescience  always  provides 
them.  Our  fathers  were  thus  fitted  for  their  work. 
Let  us  stand  in  our  lot,  girt  with  truth,  having 
faith  in  God,  intrepidly  meeting  every  call  of  duty, 
cultivating  a  sincere  good-will  toward  all  men  at 
home  and  abroad,  and  piously  leaving  all  issues  in 
the  hands  of  Him  who  is  in  fact  and  of  right  the 
Judge  of  all  the  earth. 

"  Before  closing  this  address  permit  me  to  read 
two  short  papers.  One  is  from  an  honored  descend- 
ant of  Dr.  Witherspoon.     It  is  dated — 

"'Camden,  S.  C,  June  30, 1876. 
'' '  To  Eev.  Dr.  Plumer, 

"^Rev.  and  Dear  Sir:  As  the  lineal  descend- 
ant of  that  great  and  good  man  Dr.  W^itherspoon, 


102  WITHEBSPOON, 

I  deeply  regret  that  I  am  unable  to  attend  at  the 
unveiling  of  his  statue. 

" '  His  bust  that  we  have  I  would  gladly  have 
taken  to  Philadelphia.  I  shall  ever  feel  that  I  am. 
an  American,  and  deeply  grateful  to  the  great 
Presbyterian  family  of  America  for  the  great 
blessing  vouchsafed  to  us  through  the  exertions  of 
my  great-grandfather  and  his  coadjutors.  Oh  that 
the  same  spirit  that  actuated  them  in  the  hour  of 
their  country's  peril  may  now  unite  the  great  Amer- 
ican family  in  this  Centennial  year,  knowing  no 
North,  no  South,  no  East,  no  West,  but  free  and 
happy  America ! 

" '  Yours,  very  truly, 

"'John  Knox  Witherspoon.' 

"  The  other  is  from  a  source  honored  by  all  good 
men  in  our  land.  It  has  been  my  happiness  to 
spend  the  last  few  days  in  the  company  of  my  old 
friend,  that  great  and  good  man,  Professor  Joseph 
Henry,  of  the  Smithsonian  Institute.  He  has 
obligingly  handed  me  the  following  estimate  of 
Dr.  Witherspoon : 

" '  He  had  a  mind  of  great  and  general  powers, 
harmoniously  developed  in  various  directions,  capa- 
ble of  analyzing  any  subject  to  which  his  attention 
might  be  directed,  and  of  arriving  at  a  clear  con- 
ception of  the  fundamental  principles  on  which  it 
was  founded.     He  possessed  great  facility  in  de- 


WITHERSPOON.  103 

ducing  logical  inferences  from  general  principles, 
applicable  to  the  affairs  of  every-day  life. 

"  ^  With  clear  conceptions  of  truth,  he  had  the 
moral  courage  and  literary  ability  to  advocate  it 
from  the  pulpit  and  the  press  in  forcible  language 
and  with  apt  illustrations. 

"*As  an  example  of  these  characteristics,  I 
would  refer  to  his  essay  on  the  uses  and  abuses  of 
paper  money,  which  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say  is  one 
of  the  best  expressions  of  the  fundamental  princi- 
ples of  the  subject  to  be  found  in  the  English  lan- 
guage. It  was  published  at  a  time  of  great  excite- 
ment, when  the  country  was  suffering  under  an  un- 
stable currency,  and  is  especially  applicable  to  the 
condition  of  our  own  times.' 

"A  century  ago  Dr.  Witherspoon  and  our  fathers 
were  on  the  busy  theatre  of  life.  They  are  gone 
now.  Where  shall  we  be  a  hundred  years  hence? 
Certainly  we  shall  all  be  in  eternity.  But  will  it 
be  a  blessed  eternity  ?  Will  the  world  be  the  better 
for  our  having  lived  in  it  ?'' 

The  committee  feel  that  it  would  be  unpardon- 
able to  bring  this  statement  to  a  close  without  ex- 
pressing its  cordial  thanks  to  the  secular  press  of 
Philadelphia  for  its  liberality  in  advertising  and 
its  courtesy  in  noticing  our  efforts,  and  also  to  the 
Presbyterian  Banner ,  of  Pittsburg,  the  New  York 
Observer  and  the  New  York  Evangelist,  and  to  the 
Christian  Instructor,  of  Philadelphia,  and  especially 


104  WITEEESPOON. 

to  The  PreshyteriaUj  of  this  city,  for  the  large  space 
allowed  in  its  columns  for  the  advocacy  of  our 
cause,  and  for  the  warm  editorial  support  constantly 
rendered  us. 


|'"'[«'jO"  ■'■•'W'ogical  Seminary-Speer  Library 

1    1012  01045  9503 


